New legislation against illegal gaming has passed its first reading at the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, despite doubts cast by lawmakers over its feasibility in reality.
Under-the-table betting, also known as side betting or a multiplier, will officially be considered illegal under the bill.
Meanwhile, undercover operations would become possible in tackling illicit gambling. However, details about their application will only be confirmed later at follow-up meetings.
“Macau is small, and we all basically know each other. There would be meticulous application in terms of undercover operations,” pledged Cheong Weng Chon, the secretary for administration and justice, after presenting the bill.
Online gambling is another scope of activity that the authorities are looking to root out.
“The law that we are using was enacted in 1996. Macau’s gaming industry has been developing in an ‘earth-shattering’ manner,” the secretary told legislators. “The way gaming activities were operated is now so much different from what it was.”
“This law will ‘evidently’ combat online gambling, which did not occur then,” he added. “We will need to define such activity as illegal first and then resort to mutual legal assistance from other countries.”
However, he admitted difficulty in preempting all possible offences with the new legal tool.
“Not every case could be busted, but at least there will be measures,” Cheong said.
