Macao's Executive Council concluded its discussion of a draft law amending Law No. 8/96/M, a bill intended to clarify what counts as illegal gaming activity, combat online gaming crimes and raise penalties and fines, according to a University of Macau paper on the transformation of the territory's gaming industry1. The paper records the council's own description of the step in Portuguese: "O Conselho Executivo concluiu a discussão sobre a proposta de lei intitulada Lei de combate aos crimes de jogo ilegal" (The Executive Council Has Concluded the Discussion on the Draft Law Entitled "Law on Combating Illegal Gambling")1.
"O Conselho Executivo concluiu a discussão sobre a proposta de lei intitulada Lei de combate aos crimes de jogo ilegal" (The Executive Council Has Concluded the Discussion on the Draft Law Entitled "Law on Combating Illegal Gambling")
The draft sits inside a wider rewrite of Macao's gaming framework. In 2022 the territory amended Law No. 16/2001, the Old Gaming Law, replacing it with Law No. 7/2022, the New Gaming Law1. That revision repealed accessory regulations tied to the old framework, including Administrative Regulation No. 6/2002 and Administrative Regulation No. 27/2009, which were replaced by Law No. 16/2022 as the operational accessory regulation under the new law1. The paper states that the new Gaming Law effectively dismantled Macao's junket system, a sector that had once contributed more than 70 percent of gross gaming revenue1.
The background to the enforcement push includes the case of Alvin Chau, chief executive of Suncity Group, then Macao's largest casino junket operator. The Wenzhou City Public Security Bureau issued an arrest warrant for Chau, and his arrest coincided with the revision of the gaming law and preparations for the rebidding of casino concessions1. He was convicted and sentenced in 20231. In 2022 Macao awarded new gaming concessions to six contenders: MGM Grand Paradise S.A., Galaxy Casino S.A., Venetian Macau S.A., Melco Resorts (Macau) S.A., Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. and SJM Resorts S.A.1. Gross gaming revenue reached MOP183 billion in 20231.
The paper does not set out the specific penalty levels, fine amounts or the offenses the draft law would cover, and no date for passage or implementation is given in it. Those details have not been reported.
What it means for players
The bill concerns illegal gaming, including online gaming crime, rather than the licensed casino floor. For people gambling in Macao, the practical effect depends on definitions and penalty levels that the draft text would set, and those figures are not in the available material. Players using offshore sites that take bets from Macao fall closest to the conduct the bill names, and the territory's legal framework for online play is set out in Can I Play at Online Casinos in Macau?. The rules that apply inside licensed venues are covered in Rules Inside Macau Casinos, and the wider regional picture in Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions and Is Online Gambling Legal in Asia? The 12 Jurisdictions Compared. Penalties that players can face across the region are set out in Penalties for Gambling in Asia: What Players Face, and enforcement against offshore operators in Crackdowns on Offshore Online Gambling Hubs in Asia and Is It Illegal to Use Offshore Gambling Sites in Asia?.
What happens next
The Executive Council has concluded its discussion of the draft. The paper does not state when the bill will be sent to the Legislative Assembly, when it might be voted on, or when any new penalties would take effect.
Sources1 sources
- Joao Ilhao MOREIRA - The Transformation of Macao's Gaming Industry .pdf, repository.um.edu.mo
