Macau Gaming-Related Crime Rises 12.3% in First Nine Months of 2026 Driven by Fraud Cases

Macau logged 1,951 gaming-related crimes through September 2026, a 12.3% rise from 1,737 cases last year. Fraud jumped 21.3% to 558 incidents while illegal money exchange rose 11.9% to 404. Authorities plan more prevention and tech use despite lower overall crime.

SCCG Take — The fraud-led increase requires operators to tighten casino controls and transaction monitoring. Regulators will likely intensify oversight on high-risk activities in the sector.

Macau recorded 1,951 gaming-related crimes in the first nine months of 2026. This marks a 12.3% increase from 1,737 cases in the same period last year, driven by rises in fraud and unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes, according to Inside Asian Gaming.

Fraud accounted for 558 cases, up 21.3% year-on-year and representing 28.6% of the total. The 98 additional fraud cases made up nearly half the overall increase. Unlicensed money exchange registered 404 cases, up 11.9%. This activity was criminalized in Macau in October 2024.

Category Declines and Notable Increases

Illegal lending for gambling purposes fell 12.6% to 132 cases. Related unlawful detention cases dropped 57.1% to nine, while breaches of casino-entry bans declined 42.2% to 63. Gaming-related assault cases rose 26.6% to 81.

These figures emerged even as Macau’s overall crime tally decreased. Serious violent crime remained at low levels. Telecommunications and online fraud, computer crime, theft, and drug-related offenses all fell.

Enforcement Priorities and Recent Operations

Security authorities flagged gaming-related illegal activity as an area needing continued attention. They committed to stronger preventive measures, interdepartmental cooperation, and technology to aid policing efforts. Intelligence sharing across government departments and jurisdictions will also increase to address cross-border crime.

In July, Macau’s Judiciary Police arrested 15 alleged key members of a suspected criminal group operating in a Cotai casino, including its ringleader. The group allegedly identified individuals suspected of wrongdoing inside the casino and offered not to report them to police in exchange for cash. Suspected offenses included organized crime, extortion, and coercion. The Public Prosecution Office took over the case, placing five defendants, including the ringleader, in pre-trial detention as of a 5 September update.

Separately, the Judiciary Police worked with the gaming industry to shut down more than 77,000 illegal gambling websites during the period.

Reporting: Inside Asian Gaming

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