Official data from the Office of the Secretary for Security reveals a sharp increase in gaming-related offences in Macau. The total number of crimes linked to the casino industry reached 2,373 in 2025, a 63% jump from the 1,456 cases reported in 2024.
Authorities have attributed this spike to the recent criminalization of illicit money exchanges, which has brought these activities into official police statistics.
The Rise of “Money Exchange Gangs”
The most significant increase occurred in the category of unlawful currency exchange for gaming purposes. These cases skyrocketed from 89 in 2024 to 471 in 2025, representing a 429% increment. This trend has also doubled the number of frauds in the gaming sector, which grew from 333 to 667 cases, primarily stemming from these illegal foreign currency transactions.
Other categories showing volatility include:
- Robberies: Increased from 4 to 14 cases (up 250%).
- Assault & Intimidation: Rose by 59.6%.
Progress Against Traditional Organized Crime
While the headline figure is rising, the data by Office of the Secretary for Security suggests that law enforcement is successfully dismantling traditional criminal structures. Criminal syndicates and illegal under-the-table betting both saw declines of more than 50%. False imprisonment (often linked to gambling debt) dropped by 40%, while usury (loansharking) fell by 23%.
These shifting patterns indicate that while new offence types are emerging under the latest enforcement measures, the pressure on long-running organized crime groups has been measurable and effective.
