Macau recorded an aggregate of 2,373 gaming-related crimes in 2025, up 63.0 percent from 2024, according to the latest statistics published on Tuesday by office of the Secretary of Security.
“The increase was mainly due to the criminalisation of unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes under the ‘Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling’, as well as adjustments to the statistical data on gambling-related crimes made by the authorities,” the office stated in its annual report.
The “Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling”, in effect from October 29, 2024, has been described as an “important legal basis” for the Macau authorities to crack down on gaming-related crime.
According to the report, 471 cases of gaming-related unlicensed money exchange were filed in 2025, up from 89 such incidents in the previous year.
The update also said that the amount of serious gambling-related crimes and organised crime “remained low” last year.
“Regarding crimes that previously severely affected public safety, namely illegal lending for gambling and kidnapping, 194 and 28 cases were recorded, representing a decrease of 23.0 percent and 40.4 percent, respectively, compared to 2024,” the office added.
Regarding other gaming-related crimes, the authorities recorded 667 fraud cases in 2025. The number of gaming-related fraud incidents was up from 333 cases in 2024.
Overall, the city’s police initiated 13,458 criminal case investigations, a year-on-year decrease of 5.9 percent.
“Serious violent crime, fraud, and cybercrime showed a downward trend, reflecting the effectiveness of police prevention and combat efforts and the increased awareness of crime prevention among the general public,” the office stated.
