Macau-related gaming crime is declining as the number of visitors rises
According to the latest data Office of the Secretary of Security there has been a year-on-year decline in levels gaming crime in Macau in the first 9 months of 2020 In many categories. Contrary to earlier data releases by authorities, the latest announcement did not provide the overall number of gaming-related offenses over the specified nine-month period.
This decline coincided with a decline Gross Gambling Revenue (GGR) in Special Administrative Region (SAR) Chin, which fell by 82,5% in the period from January to September 2020, compared to the same nine-month period of the previous year.
Pickpocketing cases in casinos within the first 9 months of the year amounted to 23 which is almost 85% less than 148 cases investigated by the Macao Police from January to September 2019.
Alleged gaming cheating in nine months in 2020 has decreased by 231 cases, to 60 , almost 80% and more than half of the reported fraud cases were related to currency exchanges, and in the first nine months of 2020, cases of heist in casinos.
Counterfeit gaming currency
Counterfeit gaming chips in the first nine months of 2020 Detected only in 3 cases, and the total value of tokens in use or in progress usage amounted to HKD 1.02 million (USD 2.4 million) . Most of this amount comes from one counterfeit gaming currency token with a face value of 1 HKD million . No details were given in the official report regarding the distribution of both used and nearly used counterfeit casino chips that the casinos were affected by.
From January to September 2019, the Macao police detected 189 counterfeit gaming chips with a total value of almost HKD 17.5 million .
The only gaming crime with an increase in the reporting period was illegal gambling, as there was an increase in 52 cases, o 27% more compared to 41 cases assigned to the corresponding nine-month period in 2019 .
Total number of cases of usury in the first 9 months of this year fell to 57 , which means a decrease by 87.9% w compared to the same period last year, but local authorities did not provide further details on how many of these cases involved games.