Macau's Gaming Credit Law, formerly Law No. 5/2004, entered into force on 1 August 2024, introducing what one academic account calls "major reforms to the issuance of gaming credit"1. The law is now cited as Law 7/2024, the legal regime for granting credit for games of fortune in casinos2.
Under the new regime, only casino concessionaires may grant gaming credit, and only to players. Gaming promoters, commonly known as junkets, may not grant credit themselves, though they may act as a concessionaire's representatives under an approved contract2. Breaches carry fines of up to MOP 5 million2. A separate legal guide describes the effect as restricting "the extension of gaming credit to concessionaires themselves", centralizing credit risk and improving traceability3.
The change sits inside a wider rewrite of Macau's casino framework. Law No. 16/2001 was amended by Law No. 7/2022, and the new Gaming Law "effectively dismantled Macao's junket system", which before the pandemic contributed the majority of gross gaming revenue1. The same account notes that VIP rooms once contributed over 70 percent of that revenue1. Macau's six concessions, awarded in December 2022, took effect on 1 January 2023 and run to 31 December 20322.
"On 1 August 2024, a new Gaming Credit Law (formerly Law No. 5/2004) entered into force, introducing major reforms to the issuance of gaming credit."
| Instrument | In force | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Law 7/2024 (Gaming Credit) | 1 Aug 2024 | Only concessionaires may grant gaming credit; promoters may not2 |
| Law 20/2024 (Illegal Gambling) | 29 Oct 2024 | Online gambling offense, one to eight years2 |
| Law 16/2022 (Gaming promoters) | 1 Jan 2023 | Promoter licensing, MOP 10 million minimum capital2 |
What it means for players
Credit in a Macau casino now comes from the concessionaire, not from a junket. A player who was extended markers or credit through a promoter before August 2024 is dealing with a different counterparty under the new rules. Promoters can still act for a concessionaire under an approved contract, but they cannot issue credit in their own name2.
The practical effect for locals, expats and visitors is that the party owed money, and the party able to pursue it, is the casino operator. The law also sets fines of up to MOP 5 million for breaches2. Macau's minimum casino entry age remains 212. Nothing in the sources states how the change affects existing credit arrangements made before 1 August 2024, and that has not been reported.
What happens next
Macau's courts have begun applying Article 63 of Law 16/2022 to disputes over patron deposits held before 2022, with the Court of Final Appeal holding that a concessionaire's joint liability for promoter activity arises only where deposited funds or chips were actually used in casino gaming or were winnings from it3. A three-year transition for satellite casinos ends on 31 December 2025, after which all gaming venues must operate from properties owned by their concessionaires3. The first three-year review of concessionaire performance under Article 22 of the Gaming Law is expected in late 2025 or early 20264.
For the wider legal picture, see Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions and Recent and Pending Gambling Law Changes in Asia. For the territory itself, see Can I Gamble in Macau? and Money and Payments for Gambling in Macau.
Sources4 sources
- Joao Ilhao MOREIRA - The Transformation of Macao's Gaming Industry .pdf, repository.um.edu.mo
- Macau Gambling Licence and Regulation (2026), igaming-times.com
- Gaming Law 2025 - Macau SAR, China | Global Practice Guides | Chambers and Partners, practiceguides.chambers.com
- Gaming Law 2025 - Macau SAR, China | Global Practice Guides | Chambers and Partners, practiceguides.chambers.com
