Macau's 2024 gaming crime saw a 28.6% jump in investigations and prosecutions compared to 2023, though still below pre-pandemic levels, according to the Judiciary Police.
Macau's Judiciary Police (PJ) reported a mixed trend in gaming-related crime for 2024. While 1,423 investigations and prosecutions were launched—a 28.6% rise from 2023—this figure is still 34% lower than pre-COVID-19 levels.
Within these gaming-related crimes, 252 cases involved illegal borrowing for gambling and 47 involved gaming-related imprisonment. The PJ highlighted that the decline from 2019 indicates a continued decrease in serious and violent gaming-related offenses.
Macau police arrested 120 illegal money exchangers following the October 29th implementation of laws criminalizing such activity. These arrests, coordinated with mainland Chinese authorities, resulted in the seizure of over MOP 11 million (US$1.4 million).
While telephone fraud decreased by 13% (354 cases), online fraud increased by 4%, a much slower rate than the previous year's 42.8% jump, likely due to increased public awareness. However, phishing and fraudulent websites targeting credit card information surged, with 689 cases reported (a 1.1-fold increase) causing over MOP 14 million (US$1.8 million) in losses, making it the fastest-growing online crime category.
Overall crime in Macau also saw an increase. The PJ handled 14,049 criminal cases in 2024, a 13.4% increase from the previous year. This included 7,762 investigations and prosecutions (up 14.1%) and the closure of 12,856 cases (up 22.7%).
Macau recently enacted a new "Illegal Gaming Law” which includes provisions against "under the table" betting (punishable by up to eight years in prison) and penalizes those participating in illegal gambling activities (up to six months in prison).
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