How many proxy betting cases has Macau referred for prosecution in 2026? Judiciary Police "e-betting" tracker
As of October 26, 2026, Macau's Judiciary Police have posted 21 written announcements covering 23 illegal proxy betting cases and 36 people referred to the Public Prosecutions Office, all intercepted between June 29 and October 20. This tracker lists each case with its official source and will be updated as new cases are announced.
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Overview
- As of October 26, 2026, Macau's Judiciary Police (PJ) have published 21 written announcements on 23 proxy betting cases in 2026, referring 36 people to the Public Prosecutions Office.
- Every case on the PJ website so far involves interceptions between June 29 and October 20, 2026; we found no written PJ announcement of such a case for January 1 to June 28.
- All 36 people have been referred to prosecutors. We found no public charge or court ruling on any of these cases, so none of the allegations has been tested in court.
- The offence is Article 7 of Law No. 20/2024, punishable by one to eight years in prison. The law took effect on October 29, 2024.
- Most cases follow one pattern: a phone hidden in altered clothing livestreams a baccarat table or live-baccarat machine while the bettor takes instructions from clients in mainland China through an earpiece.
Last updated: October 26, 2026
As of October 26, 2026, Macau's Judiciary Police have announced 23 illegal proxy betting cases in 2026, covering 36 people referred to the Public Prosecutions Office. The count covers written announcements posted on the PJ website. All 23 cases involve interceptions between June 29 and October 20, 2026. Police describe the activity as "e-betting" (電投) or "proxy betting": a person inside a casino livestreams a game and places bets on instructions from clients outside Macau. None of the cases has yet been decided by a court.
2026 case tracker
Status for every row: referred to the Public Prosecutions Office for "unlawful operation of online games of fortune or online pari-mutuel betting". Venues are named only as the police described them. Amounts are those stated by police.
| # | Announced | Interception (venue as described by police) | Method | People | Amounts stated by police | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 1 | Jun 29, a casino in the Central district | Phone in altered clothing filmed a baccarat table; earpiece instructions from mainland clients; active since mid-May | 1 | Paid about HK$1,000 an hour plus commission, at least HK$20,000 profit; HK$41,000 in chips and HK$40,500 cash seized | PJ |
| 2 | Jul 7 | Jul 5, a casino in Cotai | Altered top filmed a live-baccarat machine; earpiece instructions from a mainland client | 1 | HK$19,350 in slot cash vouchers seized | PJ |
| 3 | Jul 7 | Jul 4–5, a casino in the Central district | Phone fixed to chest filmed a gaming table; earpiece instructions from mainland clients | 1 | HK$78,000 in chips seized | PJ |
| 4 | Jul 10 | Jul 8, a casino on the Macau peninsula | Phone in chest pocket streamed a live-baccarat machine; three sessions | 1 | Client staked RMB8,750 (HK$10,000) per session; at least HK$1,550 in loyalty points | PJ |
| 5 | Jul 14 | Jul 8, a casino in the NAPE district | Phone hidden under a score card filmed a live-baccarat machine | 1 | About HK$5,000 bet; HK$5,000 cash seized | PJ |
| 6 | Jul 14 | Jul 9, a casino in the NAPE district | Altered jacket; at least two sessions for one mainland client since June | 1 | HK$300 per session, at least HK$600 earned; HK$10,000 cash seized | PJ |
| 7 | Jul 14 | Jul 8 and 10, a casino in the NAPE district | Altered clothing; about five sessions for three clients since June | 1 | About HK$150,000 bet, at least HK$5,000 earned; HK$114,000 in vouchers seized | PJ |
| 8 | Jul 14 | Jul 10, a casino in the NAPE district | Altered top; Bluetooth-earpiece glasses; three sessions | 1 | About HK$14,000 bet; HK$20,000 cash seized | PJ |
| 9 | Jul 14 | Jul 11, a casino in the NAPE district | Altered denim jacket with mesh pocket filmed a live-baccarat machine | 1 | Carried a HK$12,000 stake for a HK$500 fee; HK$18,000 cash and a HK$12,000 voucher seized | PJ |
| 10 | Jul 14 | Jul 11, a casino in Cotai | Camera sewn into a dress filmed a baccarat table; four sessions since late June; police say she damaged the camera | 1 | About HK$300,000 bet; HK$167,200 in chips seized | PJ |
| 11 | Jul 27 | Jul 22, a casino in Cotai | Altered clothing; stopped streaming because of casino noise | 1 | Fronted HK$50,000 stake; HK$49,500 in chips seized | PJ |
| 12 | Jul 28 | Jul 25, a casino in the Central district | Woman supplied the altered clothing and relayed instructions; man filmed and bet | 2 | HK$94,000 cash and about HK$24,000 in vouchers seized | PJ |
| 13 | Aug 4 | Jul 30, a casino in the NAPE district | Altered clothing at baccarat tables; wireless earpiece | 1 | About HK$170,000 bet, at least HK$1,600 earned; HK$98,000 in chips seized | PJ |
| 14 | Aug 20 | Aug 17, a casino in the ZAPE district | Four women hired on a day rate: two bet on instructions, one photographed, one watched | 4 | HK$106,851 in vouchers seized; three were paid HK$900–1,960 | PJ |
| 15 | Aug 20 | Aug 17, a casino in Cotai | Altered jacket filmed a live-baccarat machine | 1 | HK$16,500 in vouchers seized | PJ |
| 16 | Aug 25 | Aug 22, a casino in Cotai | Phone strapped to a shoebox inside a tote bag filmed a slot machine; others supplied funds, adjusted the angle and kept watch | 6 | HK$60,000 in vouchers as stake; one man earned about RMB1,500 | PJ |
| 17 | Aug 27 | Aug 25, a casino in the ZAPE district | Phone in jacket filmed a live-baccarat machine | 1 | HK$11,910 voucher seized | PJ |
| 18 | Sep 7 | Sep 2–3, a casino in Cotai | One streamed and bet, one watched and supplied funds | 2 | HK$10,260 in membership-card rebates; HK$430,000 cash and HK$209,300 in chips seized | PJ |
| 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 20, a casino in the ZAPE district | Mini camera in jacket; HK$320,000 cash converted to chips | 2 | HK$369,150 in chips and HK$5,700 cash seized | PJ |
| 20 | Oct 13 | Oct 9–10, a casino in the ZAPE district | Hidden shirt pocket; exposed after two men allegedly tried to extort him | 1 | Not stated | PJ |
| 21 | Oct 13 | Oct 10, a casino in Taipa | One filmed a table and bet, one kept records and chips | 2 | HK$145,000 in chips seized | PJ |
| 22 | Oct 15 | Oct 12, a casino in Cotai | Altered black top filmed a live-baccarat machine; four sessions since late September | 1 | HK$500 an hour, about HK$2,000 earned; HK$3,857 voucher seized | PJ |
| 23 | Oct 23 | Oct 20, a casino in Cotai | One bet while the other livestreamed openly by phone | 2 | HK$115,000 in chips and RMB2,600 seized | PJ |
What this count covers: It includes only written announcements on the Judiciary Police website (pj.gov.mo, "Anti-Crime Operations" section), checked on October 26, 2026. Local newspapers have reported other cases that police described only at press briefings and that we could not find on the PJ website. These include cases reported by Cheng Pou on September 16 and October 21, 2026, and one reported by Va Kio Daily on January 26, 2026. They are not counted here. We found no announcement from the Public Prosecutions Office and no court ruling on any 2026 case. Our earlier report on Macau's fourth proxy betting case in five weeks covers the October 20 case in detail.
What the law says
Proxy betting is prosecuted under Article 7 of Law No. 20/2024, the Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling. Under the article, anyone who operates, promotes or organises online games of fortune or online pari-mutuel betting in Macau without legal authorisation faces one to eight years in prison, whether or not they do so habitually. The law defines "online" broadly. It covers betting done remotely through electronic, IT, telematic or interactive means, regardless of whether the systems involved are located in Macau. Negligence is also punishable.
The law was published in the Official Gazette (Boletim Oficial No. 44, Series I) on October 28, 2024. Article 37 says it takes effect the day after publication, which was October 29, 2024. It replaced Law No. 8/96/M on illegal gambling.
Context
Most of the people police describe are men from mainland China hired for small sums. The pay stated in the announcements ranges from HK$300 per session to about HK$1,000 an hour, plus loyalty points or "commission" earned on member cards. Clients are usually described as gamblers in mainland China who watch the stream and give instructions in real time. Most cases began with a tip-off or with a casino security team noticing an unusual posture or a phone aimed at a screen. Police say several suspects had worked on multiple occasions. In several announcements, police say they are still pursuing accomplices or organisers who remain at large. No organiser has been publicly identified in any 2026 case so far.
FAQ
Is proxy betting illegal in Macau?
Yes. The Judiciary Police treat livestreamed or phone-relayed betting for clients outside the casino as unlawful operation of online gambling under Article 7 of Law No. 20/2024. Every 2026 case on the PJ website has been referred to prosecutors under that article.
Can phone betting lead to prison in Macau?
The offence carries one to eight years in prison. As of October 26, 2026, we found no published court ruling in any of the 2026 cases listed here, so no sentence has yet been reported for them.
Who is being arrested?
Mostly the people placing bets inside casinos, along with lookouts, recorders and the people supplying funds. Clients giving instructions from outside Macau and the organisers have not been publicly identified.
When did the current law take effect?
On October 29, 2024, the day after Law No. 20/2024 was published in the Official Gazette.
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Patricia Cruz aims to bring a different perspective to familiar industry conversations. Through in-depth articles and thematic reports at AskSpinner News, Patricia draws attention to details worth questioning and connections that can be overlooked, using the news as a starting point for a closer look at the business of iGaming.
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