Macau’s Office of the Secretary for Security has reported a rise in gaming-related crimes as tourism rebounded.
According to Macau news media, the report from the Office of the Secretary for Security recorded that gaming-related crimes saw a 61.8% increase for H1 2024, with a total of 683 cases reported. While the number was 29.1% less than in 2019, it was 261 more cases compared to H1 2023.
Among the crimes included gaming-related scams (159 cases), profiteering/loan-sharking (122 cases), theft (80 cases), illegal appropriation (95 cases), violation of orders (possibly referring to individuals banned from entering casinos – 54 cases) and unlawful detention plus causing grievous bodily harm (23 cases).
The Government attributed said increase in crime to the significant increase in visitors to Macau. The report quoted that while the 43.6% year-on-year increase of visitors to Macau in 2024 would help “revitalise its tourism economy, it also brought in more uncertainties in regards to public security.”
In the meantime, Macau’s law enforcement is continuously enhancing preventive measures while also putting more effort into crackdowns on illegal operations, including illegal gambling and unlicensed money exchange.
During early August, Macau introduced a new law that criminalises illegal money exchange in casinos. This was in conjunction with a nationwide effort to combat illegal foreign currency and money exchange.
