Macau’s Gambling Crime Wave: A 180% Spike in 2023

A new report by the Macau’s Judiciary Police reveals a shocking surge in crimes linked to gambling in the region last year. The report shows that there were 2,717 gambling-related crimes in 2023.

This is a staggering 181.6% increase from 2022, when there were 1,752 gambling-related offenses. However, compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic), there was a nearly 50% drop (5,428).

Out of the 2,717 cases, 257 were frauds in casinos. That’s also higher than 2022, but lower than 2019.

What’s surprising is that there was not a single case of online gambling fraud in 2023.

The Judiciary Police said that they saw a big drop in crimes involving sports betting in 2023. They also said that the gambling industry in Macau is improving, and that “serious [gaming-related] crimes, such as under-the-table bets and money laundering, basically disappeared.”