Is online gambling legal in Macao?

Legal overview

Macao allows games of fortune only in land-based casinos run under government concessions. The framework is Law 16/2001 on the legal regime for operating games of fortune in casinos, as amended by Law 7/2022 and republished in 2022, together with Law 16/2022 on the operating regime for casino gaming. The amended law caps the number of casino concessions at six, sets the special gaming tax at 35% of gross gaming revenue and is supervised by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ). Lotteries and sports betting are covered by separate legislation.

Online casino play has no legal outlet. Law 16/2001 defines interactive games, including those accessed via the internet, and states that casino concessionaires may not operate any interactive game. It treats interactive gaming concessions as separate from casino concessions, but none is listed among the DICJ's legislation and concession pages, so there is no licensed online casino for residents or visitors.

Since 29 October 2024 the Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling has been in force. It defines illegal operation of games of fortune, online gambling and mutual betting as crimes, bans operating or promoting unauthorised online gambling, and raises the maximum prison term for these offences to eight years, with casino entry bans as an additional sanction. Unlicensed money exchange for gambling is also criminalised. The DICJ website has a dedicated section on illegal websites. In land-based casinos, Law 10/2012 bars entry to anyone under 21 and lets people ask the DICJ Director to ban them from all or some casinos.