In response to recent rumors circulating across Chinese social media platforms questioning the integrity of electronic card shoes in Macau’s casinos, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) has issued a statement urging the public not to believe unverified information and emphasizing that all gaming equipment in Macau complies with the law.
“All gaming equipment operating in Macau casinos is strictly regulated and must comply with relevant laws, regulations, technical standards and safety requirements,” the regulator said.
“Before being put into operation, all electronic gaming equipment, including electronic card shoes, must undergo independent testing and certification by a third-party certification body recognized by the DICJ to confirm compliance with technical standards. They can only be used after being reviewed and approved by this Bureau.
“To ensure continuous compliance, the DICJ conducts on-site inspections of gaming equipment in various casinos through both regular and surprise inspections. The scope of these checks covers equipment seal integrity, software version comparisons, software audits, operation log records and random number generation mechanisms.
“The most recent special inspection was completed between 27 and 29 May 2026 and no non-compliance was found in any equipment recently. If any abnormalities are discovered, this Bureau will immediately order the suspension of the equipment and handle the matter according to the law.”
The DICJ added, “Do not lightly believe or forward unverified online information. The DICJ will continue to strictly supervise gaming equipment to jointly maintain the good image of Macau.”
The issue of Macau’s card shoes has been the subject of widespread discussion across some mainland social media platforms recently, with some questioning why the card shoes are black instead of transparent and why they need to be electronic.
Among them, an individual using the handle “Boss Hao” posted multiple messages on the Douyin platform questioning the electronic card shoes. Although his content lacks any factual basis, it has gained significant traction.
He questioned, “What are the wires at the joints of the card shoe used for? Are those designs that deliberately block the line of sight meant to prevent cheating, or are they covering up issues? If there is really no problem with the electronic card shoes, why can’t they be disassembled publicly for everyone to verify? Why is the equipment’s exterior closed, its internal structure opaque, and photography or video recording prohibited on site? Frequent equipment malfunctions, unprovoked alarms and abnormal dealing occur repeatedly, yet there has never been a public, reasonable explanation.”
In reality, the Macau government maintains strict regulations regarding gaming equipment. On electronic card shoes, the latest standards introduced by the authorities in 2020 specify the component requirements of electronic card shoes, which include the use of opaque, robust materials among other criteria.
