All 32 legislators present at a Wednesday plenary session of Macau’s Legislative Assembly (pictured in a file photo) voted in favour of a second and final reading to a government-proposed gambling crimes bill. It explicitly targets the ‘multiplier’ practice as an illegal operation of games of fortune, and bans operation or promotion of unauthorised online gambling, as well as criminalising gambling-related unlicensed money exchange.
The measure, called the “Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling”, was first outlined by the government in December and had a first reading in the assembly in February. The bill has since been scrutinised by a Legislative Assembly committee led by veteran legislator Chan Chak Mo.
In Wednesday discussion of the bill, legislators Leong Sun Iok and José Pereira Coutinho were among those mentioning that money touts that have been present in or around the city’s casinos, have been a “hassle” to casino staff and to tourists.
At the plenary session, André Cheong Weng Chon, the city’s Secretary for Administration and Justice, gave some commentary on the bill. He reiterated – regarding the particular article dealing with money changing – the Macau government’s position. This was that for the purposes of pursuing criminal prosecutions, the authorities would look not only at whether unlicensed money exchange happened within casino precincts, but also whether such gambling-linked activity was happening as a “trade” activity, off-site.
Despite voicing overall support for the provision in the bill, Mr Coutinho did query how easy it would be pursue a criminal case – in terms of investigation and evidence gathering – if such activity happened away from casino premises.
Another notable aspect of the bill – an overhaul to the existing illegal gambling regime – is to define and set the penalties for any illegal operation of games of fortune, mutual betting, online games of fortune or online mutual betting, and lotteries. That is according to a government explanation in a so-called opinion paper covering key discussions of the bill.
The bill sets a prison term ranging from “one to eight years” for a number of defined crimes. They are respectively, illegal operation of: games of fortune; online gambling; and mutual betting. The ceiling of the possible prison term is raised from a maximum of three years applicable for crimes of the same nature, under the previous legal regime covering illegal gambling.
In the bill, the government had also proposed a casino entry ban, that could be applied across a variety of durations, for those found to have committed certain crimes. The offences resulting in an entry ban include: illegal operation of games of fortune; extending illicit loans for gambling purposes; and illicit money exchange for gambling purposes.
Also linked to an entry ban were: the crime of coercing others to gamble or provide resources for gambling; and fraudulent gambling activities. The latter includes the counterfeiting of gaming chips.
The opinion document stated the bill’s aim was “to establish a new [legal]… regime… that is more comprehensive and adequate to the current social situation, and to strengthen the penal protection of the games-of-fortune business activities conducted by Macau casinos,” activities that “bring significant receipts for the Macau Special Administrative Region.”
(Updated 8.05pm, Oct 16)
