Macau Prosecutor-General Urges Review of Criteria for Gambling-Related Unlicensed Money Exchange Convictions

Macau’s prosecutor-general has called for a review of how the elements of gambling-related unlicensed money exchange offences are determined. The proposal targets improved enforcement amid rising case volumes and persistent conviction challenges.

Tong Hio Fong made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2026/2027 judicial year. Many suspects apprehended near casinos are first-time offenders, with insufficient evidence that their activities constitute a business. The offence falls under the Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling, in force since 29 October 2024, and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Tong advocated objective standards to assess business activity.

Rising Crime Volumes

The Public Prosecutions Office registered 892 gambling-related crimes in the judicial year from September 2025 to August 2026. This total rose 17.4 percent year-on-year. It included 493 cases of gambling-related unlicensed money exchange, an increase of 20.2 percent year-on-year.

Judicial Processing Constraints

Song Man Lei, president of Macau’s Court of Final Appeal, called for legal amendments to handle these cases more efficiently. The Court of First Instance processed 383 unlicensed money exchange cases for gambling purposes. Those accounted for 19.5 percent of all ordinary criminal cases before the court’s collegial panels. Song described the matters as relatively simple. Current rules under the Criminal Procedure Code require collegial panels for offences punishable by more than three years in prison. She proposed single-judge hearings instead.

As reported by GGRAsia, the suggestions focus on clarifying offence elements and streamlining procedures without altering underlying penalties.

Reporting: GGRAsia

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