Macau’s gaming-related crime landscape saw significant volatility in 2025, with 2,373 reported cases throughout the year – a sharp 63% increase compared to the 1,456 cases recorded in 2024. Authorities attributed this spike to the recent criminalization of illicit money exchange activities.
According to data released by the Office of the Secretary for Security on Tuesday, cases of “unlawful exchange for gaming purposes” – commonly known as “money exchange gangs” – skyrocketed from 89 cases last year to 471, representing a massive 429% increase.
Concurrently, fraud cases doubled, rising from 333 to 667. These cases are often interlinked with illegal currency exchange, establishing them as the primary source of crime surrounding the gaming industry.
The data also showed that gaming-related robberies climbed from four cases to 14 (a 250% increase), while offenses such as “assault to physical integrity” and intimidation saw a combined rise of 59.6%.
Despite the overall upward trend, certain categories of traditional gaming crimes saw a decline. False imprisonment (deprivation of freedom of movement) dropped by 40% and usury (loansharking for gambling) fell by approximately 23%, decreasing from 252 to 194 cases.
Additionally, cases involving criminal syndicates and illegal gambling – specifically “under-the-table” betting – both recorded significant drops of over 50%. These figures suggest that targeted law enforcement operations against major organized crime groups have achieved their intended results.
