Macau saw 3.2pct y-o-y increase in 1Q gaming crimes: govt
Published June 18, 2026
Share
2 Min Read
Macau recorded a total of 585 gaming-related crimes in the first quarter of 2026, up 3.2 percent year-on-year, or 18 more cases than in the prior-year period, mainly driven by a rise in fraud cases.
The figures were disclosed on Thursday by the Office of the Secretary for Security.
During the first quarter this year, the authorities recorded 162 gaming-related fraud cases, representing about 27.7 percent of all gaming-related crimes logged during the period. The tally of fraud cases increased by 6.6 percent year-on-year.
The second-largest category of gaming-related crime – unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes – totalled 119 cases in the first quarter, down 9.8 percent from a year earlier.
There was no official explanation for the changes in gaming-related crime trends in the latest quarterly disclosure.
The first-quarter data showed year-on-year increases in several other categories of gaming-related crime, including assault, threats, misappropriation and theft, although the number of such cases remained significantly lower than fraud or illegal money-exchange offences.
During the same period, cases involving illegal lending for gambling purposes totalled 45, representing an 11.8 percent year-on-year decline. This category has previously been classified by Macau’s security authorities as a “serious” crime affecting public security.