The Judiciary Police and Public Security Police Force reported that the surge in cases was primarily attributed to new legislation targeting illegal money exchange operations, known locally as money exchangers. The Anti-Illegal Gambling Crime Law, which took effect in late October 2024, criminalized “operating illegal currency exchange for gambling” and enhanced regulations for other illegal gambling crimes.

Of the 567 cases recorded in the first quarter, 132 involved ‘operating illegal currency exchange for gambling,’ accounting for over 60 percent of the increase compared to the previous year. This new offense category represents the primary driver behind the overall rise in gaming-related crimes.

Despite the statistical increase in cases, authorities reported substantial success in their enforcement efforts. Police detained 251 suspected money exchangers during the first quarter, marking an 80.6 percent decrease from the 1,292 individuals detained in the same period of 2024.

Law enforcement agencies solved 157 cases of “operating illegal currency exchange for gambling,” including the 132 newly filed cases and additional cases initially classified under other charges but later found to involve illegal currency exchange. These operations resulted in 251 arrests and helped maintain order in gaming venues and surrounding areas.

Macau security authorities mentioned in the press release that the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation was demonstrated in March when Macau and mainland Chinese authorities jointly dismantled two transborder illegal currency exchange criminal organizations. The operation led to the arrest of over 60 gang members across both jurisdictions.

One criminal group used fake delivery services while another operated through jewelry shops conducting fraudulent transactions to provide illegal currency exchange services to gamblers, with amounts reaching HK$200 million ($25.7 million) and HK$590 million ($75.8 million) respectively.

Fraud cases dominated gaming-related crimes in the first quarter, with 152 cases representing 26.8 percent of all incidents. Illegal currency exchange operations ranked second with 132 cases, accounting for 23.3 percent of the total.

Other significant categories included usury cases with 51 incidents representing nine percent of all cases, theft with 46 cases at 8.1 percent, and misappropriation with 38 cases comprising 6.7 percent. Violations of casino exclusion orders recorded 21 cases at 3.7 percent, while remaining crime types each represented less than three percent of the total.

Compared to 2024, most major categories of gaming-related crimes showed declining trends, with fraud being the notable exception showing an increase. The new offense of “operating illegal currency exchange for gambling” cannot be compared to previous periods due to its recent introduction.

Analysis of the 679 suspects involved in gaming-related crimes revealed that 119 were Macau residents, representing 17.5 percent of the total, while 560 non-residents comprised 82.5 percent. Among the 333 victims, only 28 were local residents at 8.4 percent, with 305 non-residents accounting for 91.6 percent.

These statistics indicate that gaming-related crimes continue to primarily involve non-local individuals as both perpetrators and victims, with no signs of localization in criminal activity patterns.