Macau's Legislative Assembly unanimously approved a bill in May 2023 amending the territory's domestic National Security Law, originally enacted in 2009, to expand its coverage and impose stricter penalties1. The amendment expanded definitions of crimes including secession, sedition, and collusion1.
The State Department's 2024 Investment Climate Statement for Macau, which records the change, describes the amendment alongside other measures it says have limited participation in the political process, particularly since 20211. Those include changes to the Chief Executive Election Law in 2023 and the disqualification in 2021 of 21 pro-democracy candidates from running in Legislative Assembly elections, based on perceived disloyalty to the Macau and mainland China governments1.
"In May 2023, the Legislative Assembly unanimously approved a bill amending Macau's domestic National Security Law, originally enacted in 2009, to expand its coverage and impose stricter penalties."
The same report notes that in December 2023 the Legislative Assembly passed a State Secrets Law identifying eight categories of state secrets and imposing penalties on those convicted of divulging covered information, granting the Chief Executive broad discretion to decide what information should be classified and for how long1. The report does not give the specific penalties attached to the amended National Security Law, the exact wording of the expanded definitions, or the date in May 2023 on which the vote took place; those details have not been reported in the source.
The amendment sits alongside a gaming sector that remains the primary basis of Macau's economy1. Macau recorded $22.8 billion in full-year casino gross gaming revenue in 2023, a 334 percent increase from the previous year and roughly two-thirds the revenue recorded in 20191. The government collected gaming tax revenue of $8.1 billion in 2023, accounting for 77 percent of total government revenue of $10.5 billion1. Under the gaming law enacted in June 2022, operators pay a direct 35 percent tax on gaming revenue plus an indirect tax raised from 4 to 5 percent, for a public fund promoting cultural, scientific, and educational development and a social security fund1. The indirect levies can be reduced or exempted if casino operators prove they have attracted more visitors to Macau who are not from mainland China1.
What it means for players
The National Security Law amendment concerns political and security offenses, not gambling offenses, and the source does not describe any change to the rules under which people gamble in Macau1. The territory's gambling laws and the position of casinos in Macau are set out separately in the gaming law and the concession framework, which the report treats as distinct from the security legislation1.
For visitors, the practical gaming environment described in the report is unchanged by the amendment: six concessionaires hold 10-year concessions running to December 2032, and the tax structure on gaming revenue remains as set in the June 2022 gaming law1. The report does not state that the security law amendment affects casino licensing, player eligibility, or the movement of money in or out of Macau. It does note a separate customs rule requiring travelers entering or leaving with cash or other negotiable monetary instruments valued at $15,000 or more to sign a declaration form and submit it to the Macau Customs Service1.
What happens next
The source records no further steps on the National Security Law amendment beyond its approval in May 20231. It notes that the State Secrets Law passed in December 20231. No implementation timetable, enforcement guidance, or review date for the amended National Security Law is given in the source.
Sources1 sources
- Macau - United States Department of State, state.gov
