DICJ and six concessionaires strengthen cooperation against illegal online betting

Macau's Gambling Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) and the six lucky gaming concession companies strengthened their cooperation mechanism for preventing and combating illegal online betting, the bureau announced on 16 July 2026¹.

The announcement was published on the DICJ website under the heading "博監局聯同六間幸運博彩承批公司 強化防範及打擊違法電投的合作機制", which translates as "DICJ, together with the six lucky gaming concession companies, strengthens the cooperation mechanism for preventing and combating illegal online betting"¹. The DICJ is the public department responsible for helping to formulate Macau's gaming industry policy, implementing it, and regulating, supervising and coordinating gaming operations and activities¹.

The bureau did not publish the terms of the mechanism, the specific measures involved, or a start date in the material available. Those details have not been reported¹.

The announcement sits alongside a separate DICJ message dated 10 July 2026, "【博監局呼籲】公共地方切勿賭博，非法網上投注同屬違法", which states that gambling in public places is prohibited and that illegal online betting is likewise illegal¹. The DICJ has also issued a warning that claims about a "casino black box" are false information, and reminded the public not to believe "refund of gambling money" claims, in order to guard against fraud¹.

The six concessionaires are not named individually in the announcement, and no company was singled out¹.

What it means for players

The DICJ's position, stated in its own public messages, is that illegal online betting is illegal in Macau, and that gambling in public places is prohibited¹. The strengthened mechanism involves the regulator and the six concessionaires working together on prevention and enforcement, which places the operators inside the detection effort rather than only the regulator¹.

For anyone gambling in Macau, whether resident, expat or visitor, the practical effect described in the announcements is that illegal online betting sits in the same prohibited category as unlicensed gambling, and that the DICJ has publicly warned about fraud linked to "refund of gambling money" claims and "casino black box" claims¹. Licensed casino gambling in Macau is regulated by the DICJ, which supervises gaming operations and activities in the territory¹. Details of how the new cooperation mechanism will operate in practice, including any effect on players, have not been reported¹.

What happens next

No next steps, deadlines or implementation dates were given in the announcement¹. The DICJ published a second notice on the same day, 16 July 2026, on cross-departmental joint inspections to strengthen safety management at integrated tourism and leisure venues¹.