Macao casinos have vowed to crack down on illegal proxy betting as police continue to arrest Mainland Chinese patrons who secretly livestream baccarat games for remote gamblers.
Executives from Macao’s six concession-holding casinos held an emergency meeting with the regulator, the Macau Gaming Supervision and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), last week to discuss a coordinated response.
During an “in-depth exchange” of information, the parties spoke about their own countermeasures and future data-sharing reporting mechanisms, the Japanese-language, Macao-based newspaper Macau Shimbun reported.
The summit comes as the number of arrests linked to proxy betting in Macao jumped into the double digits in the space of just 14 days.
The latest arrests saw police arrest two Chinese men wearing almost identical grey-black t-shirts. Both t-shirts featured tiny holes and Velcro pads that attached to chest straps.
The suspects allegedly used these as makeshift mounts for mobile phones. The duo both belong to a Mainland China-based gambling syndicate, officers claim.
Many of the arrestees, including the aforementioned duo, are unemployed residents of Mainland China.
Police say these individuals have been operating proxy betting services in Macao for several weeks.
Macao Casinos: ‘Proxy Betting Services Offer Commission Fees’
Little is known about how proxy betting services recruit the people they send to Macao. In most cases, suspects say that gamblers in the mainland gave them cash before they crossed the border into the special administrative region.
The proxy bettors then create accounts at major casinos, where they usually place bets at electronic baccarat tables.
They livestream these games using the front-facing cameras on their mobile phones or small hidden cameras sewn into their clothing. Using another mobile phone and Bluetooth earbuds, they listen to instructions from gamblers in the Mainland who tell them how they want bets placed.
Most police reports from these crime scenes follow a similar pattern. Casino employees notice the suspects sitting in unnatural positions near the baccarat tables. In some cases, proxy bettors try to cover their cameras with newspapers or betting sheets.
After staff noticed their behavior and alerted the police, some suspects have reportedly tried to destroy the cameras.
Police say that proxy bettors are also allowed to keep any loyalty points they accrue while making bets, sometimes earning hundreds of dollars’ worth of points.
Criminals Have a New Range of Tech Tools, Gov’t Warns
At the meeting, casino executives said they have begun special employee training to help them identify potential proxy bettors faster.
The parties agreed to deepen their cooperation as they enforce new crackdowns.
Attendees included the heads of the six casinos’ departments, including security chiefs.
The DICJ warned that proxy betting rings can now draw on a range of new hardware and software solutions to livestream real-time casino action.
Casino chiefs said they were fighting back with improved monitoring systems, more security patrols, improved employee training, and a new rewards program for whistleblowers.
Police and casino chiefs also held a training session earlier this month.
June Tourism Slowdown
While gross gaming revenue figures have been sluggish in recent months, footfall at Macao integrated casino-resorts has risen for much of the year.
Per Macau Statistics and Census Office figures released last week, in the first half of 2026, the number of inbound tourists increased by 9% year-on-year.
Visitors from Mainland China have also increased by 11%, making up almost three-quarters of the total.
However, June saw a 3.1% year-on-year slowdown in inbound tourist numbers.
Meanwhile, police say their crackdown on casino-related crime, including proxy betting and illegal currency exchange, is bearing fruit.
Government figures released on July 16 show a 1.1% year-on-year drop in crime for the first half of 2026.
