Macau cracks down on illegal gambling, blocks 36,000 sites

Macau has been dealing with an inundation of illegal gambling websites that target residents, even though the special administrative region has draconian laws for gambling, and outlaws all forms of interactive wagering.

Despite these austere conditions, illegal gambling sites have found fertile ground in Macau, prompting strong enforcement action by authorities.

According to the Office of the Secretary for Security, north of 36,000 such operators have been blocked from accessing the region in the first half of 2024, cited by media outlet GGRAsia which did the original reporting.

Macau bans thousands of illegal gambling sites

The authorities have stated that the illegal gambling websites pretend to be legitimate entities that operate in Macau, but this is not the case, the Office of the Secretary for Security assured.

Most of the information about these blocks has remained mostly speculative, with authorities not in the habit of disclosing many of the fine details. It is alleged that gambling websites have misused intellectual property used by legitimate websites, but it is not yet clear if all 36,000 websites are doing that, or just some and if so – what brands have been targeted.

Macau only has a handful of big, regulated gambling operations. The tally of blocked websites, though, only covers the first half-year, which means that there is still a thriving offshore market industry that seeks entry into Macau.

With a population of just under 700,000 people, it is not yet clear why so many websites would target the special administrative region. On the other hand, it makes perfect sense for Macau’s anti-gambling hawks to ensure that no rogue operators are accessible to residents or visitors.

Macau determined to uproot illegal gambling

Earlier this year, Macau worked closely with Hong Kong and b province to crack down on illegal online sports betting operations, which led to the bust of a criminal syndicate that was worth $125m at the time of the operation.

At the same time, Macau is tightening its laws against those who have been found guilty of promoting illegal gambling. A new bill wants to imprison people guilty of promoting or running illegal gambling operations in any form for up to eight years, with a minimum of one year.

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