Macau police have arrested 2 mainland Chinese men suspected of using modified clothing to livestream casino betting activity and place wagers on behalf of offshore clients at 2 local casinos.
According to Macao Daily News, casino staff alerted the Judiciary Police after detecting suspicious behavior in separate incidents early on July 5th. Officers seized HK$78,000 ($10,000) in gaming chips, HK$19,350 ($2,480) in slot-machine cash vouchers, 2 sets of modified clothing, 4 mobile phones and 2 sets of earphones. Including these 2 incidents, Macau police have detected 3 suspected proxy betting cases in local casinos recently.
In the first case, police were called to a Cotai casino at around 1 a.m. after one suspect was seen repeatedly adjusting his clothing at a baccarat slot-machine table. Officers found a small hole and a hidden pocket in his modified shirt, allegedly used to place a phone for livestreaming the game.
Police said the suspect was believed to have received instructions through an earphone to place about HK$8,000 ($1,030) in bets. He denied receiving payment, claiming he was only ‘testing’ the equipment.
A second, similar case was reported about 30 minutes later at a casino in the city center, where police detained another mainland man. Police said the individual refused to cooperate and deleted communication records, leaving the betting amount and any commission unclear.
Both men will be referred to prosecutors on suspicion of ‘illegal operation of online games of chance or online mutual betting’. Police said they had not confirmed whether the cases involved organized activity, but added that this would be one line of investigation.
