Ten months after it was first tabled, the new law on illegal gambling passed its final reading at the Legislative Assembly yesterday according to multiple media reports.
Under the new legislation, illicit gambling – such as side betting or parallel betting – will be punishable by up to eight years in prison.
The authorities will also have greater powers of search and investigation in cases of suspected illegal gambling, whether inside or outside casinos.
[See more: Macao’s gaming industry can expect ‘stable’ growth at best, report says]
Illicit online betting, and betting in public places, are also being targeted with a range of punishments.
Meanwhile, unauthorised currency exchanges taking place on casino premises are now punishable by jail terms of up to five years, with guilty parties liable to be banned from casinos for up to 10 years.
Macao has been making strenuous efforts to toughen up gambling laws following the high-profile cases of jailed junket operators Alvin Chau and Levo Chan.
