Macau Police Shut Down $5M Illegal Casino Money Exchange

Macau authorities have dismantled an illegal money exchange operation that was running out of a jewelry store inside a Cotai casino. A local female employee linked to the scheme has been arrested.

Over $5M in Unregulated Exchanges

The Macau Daily reported that the unnamed sales assistant allegedly facilitated nearly HK$40 million, or about $5.1 million, in unregulated exchanges for gamblers. 

The illegal scheme allowed patrons to convert funds in the store using unofficial platforms before heading straight to the casino floor.

According to media reports, Macau’s Judiciary Police (PJ) conducted surveillance on the store on Monday morning after receiving a tip. Officers watched the employee scan a QR code presented by a male mainland Chinese patron and then hand him Hong Kong dollars. The man subsequently went directly to gamble.

During questioning, the pair admitted that on the day of surveillance, the woman exchanged Yen 1,726 ($249) for HK$1,800 ($230). 

Investigators later discovered that the store had been running the illicit operation since April 2025, handling close to $5.1 million in total transactions and generating illegal profits of roughly Yen 1.35 million ($195,000).

Authorities seized HK$95,400 ($12,203), mobile phones, and a laptop during the raid. Investigators are now tracing the store owner and others who may have been involved. 

The case has been handed to Macau’s Public Prosecutions Office, with charges under “operating illegal currency exchange for gambling purposes.”

The maximum penalty for this offense is up to five years in prison. Those involved could also face bans from Macau casinos for two to ten years.

Concerning Data Worldwide

The arrests come amid a global crackdown on illegal and digital currency networks linked to gambling. 

According to official data, criminal investigations tied to gaming went up 62.6% in 2025, with China’s special administrative region totaling over 2,300 cases, partly due to improvements in reporting and a surge in illegal currency exchanges.

At a global level, similar enforcement practices are in place, with notable reports reaching multimillion- and even billion-dollar figures in crypto, including a fresh high-profile bust in Turkey. As per a Chainalysis study, Chinese-speaking criminal networks have laundered roughly around $16.1 billion through digital currency last year alone, handling roughly 20% of the world’s $82 billion in illicit crypto transactions.