Macau authorities to crack down further on illegal online gambling

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) met with the Macau judiciary police, the region’s three gaming concessionaires and its three subconcessionaires “to discuss measures against illegal gaming websites”.

At the meeting, acting director of the DICJ Luo Lishan agreed that the Bureau will perform searches and collect information about illegal gaming websites, which it will then submit to the Judicial Police on a regular basis.

This information sharing, as well as the sharing of information between licensees and authorities, will take effect from 1 April.

Su Zhaoqiang, director of the gaming and economic crime investigation department of the judicial police, said that the police had started blocking illegal gambling websites in 2018, and ramped up its enforcement last year, with 1,352 sites blocked – more than the total number blocked from 2018 to 2020.

“Since the opening of the gambling rights in Macau, criminals have taken advantage of the popularity of Macau’s gaming industry to set up illegal gaming websites by impersonating the DICJ or fake Macau gaming companies to conduct gambling or even fraud, which not only causes property losses to tourists and citizens, but also to the Macao SAR,” the regulator said. “This has a negative impact on Macau’s image as a tourist destination.

“The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau will continue to maintain close contact and cooperation with the judiciary police and the gaming industry to jointly crack down on illegal gaming sites, so as to safeguard social security and maintain the image of Macau.”