The Macau Judiciary Police recently uncovered an illegal gambling operation involving mobile phones used to secretly live-stream VIP room gambling sessions.
The operation is believed to be linked to a mainland criminal syndicate, with group members recruiting mainland participants for “under-the-table gambling” activities through WeChat groups.
Investigations revealed that since August of last year, the syndicate had carried out at least 11 operations, with table bets totaling approximately HK$790,000 ($101,472). However, under-the-table bets were significantly higher, reaching around HK$5.36 million ($688,500), indicating the large scale and organization of the operation.
On February 5th, authorities raided a VIP room in Cotai and arrested three mainland men aged between 29 and 35. One of the men was identified as a key member of the group. Police believe more than 10 individuals are still at large.
During the operation, authorities seized several mobile phones and miniature earpieces used for live-streaming the gambling sessions, along with HK$344,000 ($44,185) in chips and HK$600,000 ($77,067) in cash. The arrested men refused to cooperate with the investigation, which has further complicated the case.
The Judiciary Police explained that the syndicate used advanced technology to live-stream the gambling activities, allowing mainland gamblers to participate in real time. This not only enabled the group to evade regulatory oversight but also facilitated substantial profits.
The security authorities noted that these illegal activities represent a serious threat to the integrity of Macau’s gaming industry and could be linked to money laundering and other criminal activities.
Currently, the case has been forwarded to the Public Prosecutions Office for further action. The Judiciary Police will continue to investigate other individuals involved and trace the flow of illicit funds in an effort to dismantle the entire criminal network.
