A Macau customs officer is one of 93 people charged with being part of an illegal sports gambling business that extended to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province.
The Macau Judiciary Police said that 50 suspects in Macau, 42 in Mainland China, and one in Hong Kong were arrested and charged with running an underground betting network. Authorities believe the operation took in at least MOP1.08 billion (US$134 million) in bets since 2016.
Officials say the gambling business used online websites hosted on overseas servers. Bets were also placed in person at major casino resorts in downtown Macau and the Cotai Strip. Gamblers in Hong Kong and Mainland China also met with agents to place bets.
Soccer Betting Ring
Macau authorities believe the illegal sports betting operation mainly focused on soccer. During the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, officials estimate that the ring handled over $9 million in bets each week.
The raid led to the seizure of about $11 million in cash and the freezing of more than 90 bank accounts tied to the scheme. Over 100 cell phones, 26 computers and tablets, and $994,000 were taken from various homes in Macau where the suspects were allegedly working.
Those arrested had different roles, like recruiting gamblers, taking bets, and chasing down those who didn’t pay. One of the suspects is a customs officer, which led the Macau SAR government to start an internal investigation and suspend the officer during the investigation.
The betting ring focused on soccer games and attracted bettors by offering better odds than Macau Slot, the top online and retail bookmaker in the area. Macau Slot offers bets on soccer and basketball, two of the most popular sports in China and Macau.
In Asia, gamblers usually prefer table games like baccarat over slot machines and sports betting, which are more popular in the U.S. While sports betting is a big business in the U.S., it is still a small part of China’s gaming market. In China, casinos are only in Macau, but sports betting is allowed through the national lottery.
Cross-Border Collaboration
Macau’s Judiciary Police said they uncovered the illegal bookmaking operation by working with law enforcement in Hong Kong and Guangdong. In China, the penalties for illegal gambling are very severe, especially for cross-border activities.
Last year, Alvin Chau, the former boss of Suncity, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for 163 charges, including fraud, illegal gambling, and criminal association. Chau was well-known in Macau’s junket industry, arranging lavish trips for wealthy mainlanders and encouraging them to gamble large amounts of money.
