Macau’s Legislative Assembly (AL) has unanimously passed a new law aimed at tightening regulations around illegal gambling, marking a significant milestone in the region’s gaming policies. This new legislation focuses on curbing illegal betting activities.
Key provisions of the law include the criminalization of unauthorized currency exchanges related to gambling and stricter controls on loans used for gambling purposes. It also addresses the misuse of lotteries, including foreign lotteries like the Hong Kong Mark Six, imposing penalties of up to two years in prison.
One notable element of the law is the enhancement of penalties for illegal gambling-related activities. For instance, the new framework increases the maximum prison sentence for these crimes from three to eight years, and companies involved in illegal gambling can also be held criminally liable.
During discussions, lawmakers sought clarity on what constitutes illegal gambling, such as whether casual games like mahjong or card games played without profit motives would fall under the law. The Macau administration clarified that such games, when not profit-driven, would not be classified as illegal.
For further insights into the latest regulatory developments and the impact of this new legislation, feel free to contact our experts Lawrence Marchese (lawrence@chevron.group), Kurt Laferla (kurt@chevron.group) and Thees Buschmann (thees@chevron.group) from the Chevron Group. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry related news.