Date: April 2, 2026
Category: Enforcement & Illegal Operations
Summary:
Macau’s Judiciary Police (PJ), in a joint operation with mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, have dismantled a cross-border illegal gambling syndicate that used local cafes as fronts for underground betting dens. On March 29, police raided a shopping mall unit in the Hac Sa Van district, arresting 50 individuals linked to the network. Investigations revealed that four members operated physical gambling dens disguised as coffee shops, equipped with麻将 (mahjong), poker tables, and large sums of cash. The “cafes” operated on an invite-only, membership-style basis, opening only when a sufficient number of trusted patrons were present to play Texas Hold’em and mahjong. Authorities are still investigating potential ties between these physical fronts and online illegal gambling platforms, suspecting the arrested individuals acted as local agents rather than ringleaders of the larger跨境赌博 (cross-border gambling) apparatus .
