• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Wednesday 18 June 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

Macau’s Legislative Assembly votes new Illegal Gambling bill into law

Pierce Chan by Pierce Chan
Thu 17 Oct 2024 at 04:33
Macau’s Legislative Assembly votes new Illegal Gambling bill into law
25
SHARES
628
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Macau’s new “Illegal Gambling Law” was finally voted on in the Macau Legislative Assembly on Wednesday and passed with almost no opposition. The law will come into effect the day after it is officially announced.

This is the latest of a number of new gaming-related laws to have been passed over the past two years, including the general gaming law, the law on junkets and the law on the legal regime of gaming credit.

After being initially voted on in December last year, the Illegal Gambling law passed through eight meetings of the Second Standing Committee before it was finally tabled for a final vote in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

There was little opposition to the bill during the vote, with only a few members voicing their opinions. One of them, Ron Lam U Tou, questioned one of the clauses – “Illegal lotteries” under Article 8 of the bill – which restricts the sale of Mark Six lotteries and imposes a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment for their illegal sale.

Lam stated that the sale of Mark Six Lottery tickets does not have a significant impact on society, and that buying lottery tickets has been a habit in Macau for many years.

“There are many officials who would laugh and say that some of the things they do are ‘harder to win than the Mark Six Lottery’, which show that Mark Six has been a traditional habit for many people in Macau,” he said.

“The new law is now more stringent and I don’t think it is appropriate to raise the penalty for selling Mark Six lottery tickets to two years imprisonment.”

In response, Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon pointed out that the sale of lottery tickets is an act of lucky betting and should be regulated.

“The resale of Mark Six lottery tickets by some small merchants in Macau is now regulated by law. This is now an offence.

“This behaviour needs to be regulated because the sale of lottery tickets requires a licence from the SAR government and it affects young people.

“Unlike casinos, lotteries offer great convenience and the public can use legal channels to buy Mark Six lottery tickets.”

The Illegal Gambling Law also adds a number of new criminal law provisions, including a strict ban on what is commonly known as “betting under the table”, with offenders liable to a maximum of eight years imprisonment.

The government’s stance is that past instances of “betting under the table” – almost certainly a reference to the recent Suncity Group and Tak Chun Group trials – have seriously undermined the development of the gaming industry and there is a need to improve the relevant legal regime to explicitly prohibit such behaviour.

In addition, the law enhances the ability of criminal investigation officers to collect evidence against illegal gambling behaviour by adding new powers around “night-time evidence collection” and “undercover investigations”.

Recently added provisions to the bill include the criminalization of “money exchange gangs”. Anyone who operates an illegal currency exchange for the purpose of gambling will from now have committed an offence and be liable to a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

RelatedPosts

Macau GGR hits MOP$19.8 billion in August, up 6% month-on-month

Three Macau concessionaires hold job fairs for displaced satellite casino employees

Tue 17 Jun 2025 at 19:35
Sub-concessions axed, license terms amended as Macau government reveals draft revisions to gaming law

Five Middle Eastern countries granted visa-free entry to Macau from next month

Mon 16 Jun 2025 at 19:33
SJM sees profit, EBITDA rise in 3Q19 despite 13.3% fall in gross gaming revenue

Fitch: SJM’s credit profile should see little impact from satellite casino closures

Mon 16 Jun 2025 at 14:17
Macau Chief Executive not expecting satellite casino closures to impact city’s GDP

Macau Chief Executive not expecting satellite casino closures to impact city’s GDP

Mon 16 Jun 2025 at 12:20
Load More
Tags: Illegal gamblinglawLegislative AssemblyMacau
Share10Share2
Pierce Chan

Pierce Chan

With more than five years’ experience working as a journalist in Macau, Pierce is an experienced media operator with strong skills in news writing and editing. He previously worked with Exmoo, first as a reporter covering government, gaming and tourism-related stories, then as a Deputy Assignment Editor helping set the agenda of the day. Pierce is a graduate of the University of Macau.

Current Issue

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:38

I was recently asked by someone working at a foreigner-only casino for my thoughts on the outlook for the Asian...

On the brink

On the brink

by Pierce Chan
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:27

The transition period for Macau’s 11 satellite casinos is set to expire at the end of this year, after which...

A moral defense of gambling

A moral defense of gambling

by Andrew Russell
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:19

Economist Andrew Russell explores the differences between community benefit and in-principle arguments for the existence of a legal gambling industry...

Face to face

Face to face

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:08

Konami caught the eye at the recent G2E Asia show in Macau with its SYNK Vision Tables, which utilize facial...

Evolution Asia
Aristocrat
GLI
Mindslot
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
Nustar
Jumbo
568Win

Related Posts

Internet casino in Tokyo’s Shinjuku shut down

Japan asks eight countries to block its citizens from gambling on online sites

by Newsdesk
Wed 18 Jun 2025 at 07:00

Japan has asked the governments of eight countries to block its citizens from accessing online casino websites licensed within those countries as it steps up efforts against online gambling. Kyodo reports that the eight countries in question are Canada, Costa...

Malaysia’s Resorts World Genting shuts two of its three casinos

Genting tops gaming companies on 2025 Fortune Southeast Asia 500 list, Bloomberry and DigiPlus on the move

by Newsdesk
Wed 18 Jun 2025 at 06:21

Malaysia’s Genting Group has led the region’s gaming companies in the second annual Fortune Southeast Asia 500 – a ranking of the largest companies in Southeast Asia by revenue. Genting was ranked 53rd on this year’s list, one place higher...

Patience pays

Melco parent raises US$98 million through rights issue, shareholding of Lawrence Ho slightly lower

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 18 Jun 2025 at 05:54

Melco International Development Limited, the Hong Kong-listed parent company of Macau concessionaire Melco Resorts, confirmed earlier this week that it had raised net proceeds of HK$770.8 million (US$98.2 million) via a rights issue, after expenses. In a filing, Melco International...

Thailand bans citizens from crossing Cambodian border to work in Poipet casinos

Thailand bans citizens from crossing Cambodian border to work in Poipet casinos

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 18 Jun 2025 at 05:31

Border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated further, with Thailand announcing on Tuesday that it has banned its citizens from crossing the border in Sa Kaeo to work in casinos, gambling dens, and other entertainment venues in Poipet. The...



IAG

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • 中文

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • 中文
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • 中文
  • English