Macau’s Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, has announced the city’s crime figures for 2024, with a total of 1,456 gaming-related crimes recorded – an increase of 349 cases or 31.5% compared to 2023.
According to the Secretary, unstable factors affecting Macau’s social security increased last year with the further growth in tourist numbers and the broader recovery of the tourism and gaming industries.
“The criminalization of ‘money exchange gangs’ under the illegal gambling law that came into effect at the end of last year has [also] led to an inevitable rise in the number of crimes involving gaming,” Wong explained.
Compared to 2019, last year’s gaming crime data year saw a decrease of 701 cases, a drop of approximately 32.5%.
Of the various types of gaming-related crimes in 2024, fraud cases continued to dominate with 333 cases, or about 22.9%of the total, followed by loansharking cases with 252 cases or 17.3% of the total.
As for the crackdown on money exchange gangs, the police intercepted a total of 3,185 gangs in various operations last year, with 658 cases of crimes arising from illegal exchange.
Asked about the issue of Macau’s satellite casinos, whose future beyond 2025 remains clouded, Wong said, “The police will understand and analyze the risks involved in satellite casinos in a timely manner.”
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