Macau’s new legislation exempts private gambling from illegal activity crackdown

Macau's new legislation against illegal gambling will focus exclusively on activities occurring in public places, as confirmed following a recent discussion between a Legislative Assembly committee and government officials.

The legislation, permitting searches of residences, will only deem gambling activities involving money as illegal, with fines ranging from MOP1,500 to MOP5,000 ($187-$623).

Private activities, such as home-based mahjong games, will not be considered as offenses. Non-profit mahjong games in clubhouses and chess games in parks are also exempt, as they do not involve money, Macau Business reported.

Committee head Chan Chak Mo explained that leisure activities without monetary stakes, such as setting up a Chinese chess game in a public park and charging a fee, could potentially violate the law. The bill is expected to be submitted to the Legislative Assembly for a final reading by August 15, the end of the current legislative session.

In regard to the debate surrounding the potential criminalization of unofficial currency exchanges, during Monday’s meeting, government officials indicated a preference for administrative measures over outright criminalization.

More than 2,000 individuals involved in money exchange have been banned from entering casinos in 2023. Criminalizing the practice is considered a complex and time-consuming process involving investigation, evidence gathering, and trial, according to government representatives.

“The government believes that the use of administrative measures, such as reporting to mainland authorities to prohibit ‘money exchange gangs’ from leaving the country or banning them from entering Macau, has been effective in combating them,” Mo was quoted as saying in the report.