Macau Gambling-Related Crime Rises 12.3% in First Nine Months of 2026

Macau recorded 1,951 gambling-related criminal cases in the first nine months of 2026, up 12.3% year-on-year, as fraud and illegal currency exchange increased despite an overall decline in crime across the city.

Macau police recorded 1,951 gambling-related criminal cases between January and September 2026, up from 1,737 during the same period last year, according to statistics released by the Office of the Secretary for Security. The increase contrasts with Macau’s overall crime total, which fell 0.9% to 9,966 cases.

Fraud remained the largest category of gambling-related crime, with 558 cases, an increase of 21.3% year-on-year. Fraud accounted for approximately 28.6% of all gaming-related offences, while the additional 98 cases represented almost half of the overall increase recorded in the sector.

Illegal currency exchange for gambling purposes was the second-largest category. Authorities registered 404 cases, up 11.9% from the first nine months of 2025. Macau criminalised unauthorized currency exchange connected to gambling in October 2024 as part of its wider effort to curb networks operating around casinos.

Other traditionally serious casino-related offences moved in the opposite direction. Illegal lending connected to gambling fell 12.6% to 132 cases, while associated unlawful detention cases dropped 57.1% to nine. Violations of casino exclusion orders also declined 42.2% to 63 cases. Gambling-related assault, however, increased 26.6% to 81 cases.

Financial monitoring activity also increased. Macau’s Financial Intelligence Office received 2,968 suspicious transaction reports from gaming operators during the first three quarters, around 7.9% more than a year earlier. The gaming industry generated 71.7% of all suspicious transaction reports filed in Macau during the period.

Law enforcement has also continued targeting illegal digital gambling activity, with authorities reporting the removal or blocking of more than 77,000 illegal gambling websites during the first nine months of the year through cooperation with the gaming industry.

The figures show a changing pattern in Macau’s gambling-related crime environment. Traditional offences such as illegal lending and detention are declining, while fraud, unauthorized currency exchange and suspicious financial activity are becoming more prominent. Authorities say they will continue strengthening cross-departmental intelligence sharing, technology-assisted policing and targeted enforcement around the gaming sector.