Law enforcement authorities carried out an operation that resulted in the arrest of 252 people as part of a campaign against illegal money exchanges in Macau casinos. In cooperation with mainland authorities, 19 suspected criminal groups engaged in illicit currency exchange were identified, according to local media.
Investigators said that members of these groups received instructions remotely and recruited clients to exchange currency in Macau casinos or hotels.
Arrests related to illegal gambling activity in Asia are not limited to Macau. Earlier this month, South Korean authorities detained ten people, dismantling an illegal gambling network based in Cambodia. Seven of them, including the organizer, are accused of violating South Korea’s National Sports Promotion Act.
According to investigators, the men operated an illegal gambling site between February 2022 and July 2023, processing transactions totaling KRW 44bn (£23.4m).
Online gambling is prohibited in South Korea, yet authorities reported the site had more than 11,000 users. During the raid, KRW 270m (£143,437) was seized, and KRW 120m (£63,749) in assets were frozen.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, a casino scandal linked to the embezzlement of funds earmarked for flood control projects has effectively halted parliamentary hearings on the future of the country’s gambling market.
Five contractors from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) stand accused of losing more than Php 950m (£12.3m) across 13 casinos.
According to transaction data obtained from PAGCOR, the Philippines’ gaming regulator, the men cashed in large sums for casino chips and then reversed the transactions between 2023 and 2025.
These revelations are part of a broader investigation into 15 companies that were awarded Php 100bn (£1.3bn) in flood control project contracts.
Reports suggest that a significant portion of the funds from these so-called “ghost projects” was pocketed by contractors, government officials, and DPWH insiders.
As a result of the scandal, the Philippine Senate underwent a leadership shake-up, leading to the cancellation of hearings on the future of online gambling in the country.
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