Macau’s Prosecutor General, Ip Son Sang, highlighted a “marked increase” in legal investigations and trials related to illegal gambling activities, emphasizing the need for enhanced prevention and control measures.
According to data provided during Ip’s speech at the 2024/2025 Judicial Year opening ceremony, the previous year saw 238 investigations into loan shark activities associated with illegal gambling, alongside 31 investigations into the acceptance of identification documents and 53 into kidnapping.
“As regards fraud crimes, mainly illicit money exchange activities, and theft related to gambling activities, a significant increase was also recorded”, Ip added.
These figures reflect a two to threefold increase compared to the prior year, although they remain significantly lower than those recorded in the 2018/2019 judicial year, before the pandemic.
Ip also pointed out that the Public Prosecutor’s office has recently initiated major investigations and trials against the Suncity Group and Tak Chun Group for illegal gambling operations, as well as former leaders of the Land, Public Works, and Transport Services for corruption.
The Prosecutor General acknowledged the unprecedented challenges his office faced due to the simultaneous investigations involving complex information and numerous individuals.
“The Public Prosecutor Office could not avoid unprecedented challenges regarding processing timelines, professional capacity, staff overload, and epidemic safety measures”, Ip stated.
The Prosecutor General then expressed optimism that the outcomes of the ongoing mega-cases would set important legal precedents in Macau, contributing to the region’s development in terms of the rule of law, integrity, and stability.
Macau’s security authorities have already reported a sharp increase in gaming-related crimes during the first half of 2024, as visitor numbers and the gaming industry continue to recover.
The SAR recently approved strong new legislative changes aimed at tackling gambling-related crime – including parallel betting, money exchanges and allowing for undercover agents.
