Macau gaming crime rises 63% in 2025 after illegal money exchanges criminalised

Macau recorded 2,373 gaming-related crimes in 2025, a 63% increase from 1,456 cases a year earlier, according to data released by the Office of the Secretary for Security.

“The increase was mainly due to the criminalisation of unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes under the ‘Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling’, as well as adjustments to the statistical data on gambling-related crimes made by the authorities,” the office stated.

The “Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling”, which came into effect on October 29, 2024, has been described as an “important legal basis” for authorities to crack down on gaming-related crime.

Cases of unlicensed money exchange rose sharply to 471 in 2025 from 89 in 2024, while fraud cases doubled to 667 from 333, with authorities linking many of the cases to illegal currency exchange activities.

Other categories also recorded increases, with robbery cases rising to 14 from four a year earlier and offences such as assault and intimidation climbing by 59.6%.

Despite the overall increase, authorities said the amount of serious gambling-related crimes and organised crime “remained low”.

“Regarding crimes that previously severely affected public safety, namely illegal lending for gambling and kidnapping, 194 and 28 cases were recorded, representing a decrease of 23.0 percent and 40.4 percent, respectively, compared to 2024,” the office added.

Cases involving organised syndicates and illegal gambling, including under-the-table betting, declined by more than 50%, according to the data.

Overall, Macau’s police initiated 13,458 criminal investigations in 2025, a year-on-year decrease of 5.9%.

“Serious violent crime, fraud, and cybercrime showed a downward trend, reflecting the effectiveness of police prevention and combat efforts and the increased awareness of crime prevention among the general public,” the office stated.