Illegal VIP gambling ring busted in Macau

Macau’s Judiciary Police made 19 arrests this week after busting a suspected VIP gambling ring operating out of a hotel room in the NAPE district.

Macau Cotai Strip casinosIt’s been a big couple of weeks for Macau’s authorities, with multiple arrests made for various gambling related crimes.

On Wednesday, Macau’s Judiciary Police arrested 19 people under suspicion of running an illegal VIP gambling ring. The offenders, who were all from mainland China, were allegedly running an illicit VIP gambling room out of a hotel room in Macau, where they were reportedly scamming the Chinese high-rollers they lured to gamble there.

Reports from local publications said the hotel involved (which has not been named) was located within the busy NAPE district. The 19 arrested suspects were acting as security guards, dealers, VIP hosts, VIP room operators and posing as fellow gamblers. Four VIP gamblers were also on site at the time of the raid.

The raid was a result of a tip-off from a member of the public who filed a police report in June saying the hotel room was being used as an illegal gambling den, where the suspects were luring Chinese nationals from the mainland. It is believed at least five VIP gamblers fell for the scam and were in debt to the operators.

Police say the illegal gambling ring could have been running for as long as two years, and that the suspects were using card shufflers that had been modified to play in favour of the house.

The arrests come just a week after Macau’s Judiciary Police arrested another 15 individuals suspected to be participating in illegal loan-sharking. The suspects, who were from mainland China, were alleged to be part of a cartel that illegally loans money to gamblers in the Cotai casino district and then charges them excessively high interest rates. Police are still searching for the king-pin of the loan shark operation.

Loan sharking operations are on the rise in Macau, with operators taking advantage of the desperation faced by gamblers who are unable to access a quick line of credit.

Gaming related crimes have been on the rise in Macau since the start of the year, with facial recognition ATMs recently being introduce to help reduce illegal money laundering.

Director of Macau’s Judiciary Police, Chau Wai Kuong, said the “gambling related crime situation in Macau remains serious.” He noted an increase in the number of cases of unlawful detention relating to loan-shark operations and said the police would continue to work with the city’s casino operators to increase surveillance to curb gambling related crime.

Why online casinos are safer

With so many stories like this one emerging, the safe gaming space provided by online casino operators is becoming even more appealing. As long as you stick with a safe and reputable online casino site licensed by an upstanding gambling jurisdiction, online casinos go out of their way to protect players. There are some leading online casinos available to players from United States. We highly recommend OnlineCasinoGames as safest and the best online casino providing support for players from United States. Sign up today and take advantage of the great new player welcome bonuses on offer.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

iOS App
Android App
OnlineCasinoGames
Play the best Online Casino Games
Available to residents of United States
Welcome package of $20,000

18+. Gamble Responsibly. Full T&C's apply.

iOS App
Android App
BETMODE
Play, Win and Run the show with On-Chain Gaming
Available to residents of United States
75 Free Spins + Up To 50% Cashback

Deposit $500 or more and get 50% cashback. 18+ Gamble Responsibly. BETMODE T&Cs apply.

iOS App
Android App
ReefSpins
ReefSpins is for winners
Available to residents of United States
100% match up to $300

ReefSpins encourages all players to play responsibly and within their limits, gamble responsibly. Full T&C's apply.

BetOnline Casino
Trusted brand
Available to residents of United States
100 Welcome Free Spins

Sign up at BetOnline Casino and make a deposit to score 100 free spins on selected online slots. Full terms.

Bovada Casino
Bitcoin Friendly
Available to residents of United States
100% up to $3000

18+. Gamble Responsibly. Full T&C's apply.

Wild Casino
It's a jungle out there
Available to residents of United States
$5000 + 225 free spins

18+ gamble responsibly. First deposit only. Use code WILD250. Max deposit $1000. 5x turnover requirement. Full terms

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x