Gambling Laws in Macau
Gambling in Macau is legal in all of its variety. Within the
Macau gambling legislation, the
Macau Gaming Law (Law 16/2001) is considered to be the main regulatory act of all games of chance in the country. Other relevant gambling laws in Macau include the Instant Lottery Law (Law 12/87/M), the International Gaming Tender Regulation (Regulation 26/2001) as well as the Electronic Gaming Machines Regulation (Regulation 16/2012). Thus, according to these acts all forms of land-based gambling as well as online or interactive gambling are legal in Macau. Article 4 of the Macau Gaming Law treats interactive gaming concessions as separate from concessions for operation of games of chance in the Macau casinos. However, as of June 2018, the government has not issued an online interactive gaming licence to companies dealing with online gambling, except in the field of sports betting.
The regulatory body of the land-based activities in the country is the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (Direcção de Inspecção e Coordenação de Jogos - DICJ) of the Macau Special Adminstrative Region. The legal functioning of the online gambling sector is supervised by the same body. The Macau Chief Executive is the official body which can grant licenses to all casinos in Macau, sportsbooks, or other types of gambling providers, brick and mortar as well as online.
According to
Macau gambling laws minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Macau?
Only some forms of online gambling are legal in Macau. However, no licenses for online gambling have been issued as of June 2018, with exception of online sports betting. |
Online Casinos in Macau
Macau is the Asian casino heaven. There are plenty of licensed land-based casino operators in Macau, as of June 2018, however, none of them has launched
internet casino sites. Although
online casinos in Macau are legal, the Macau Chief Executive hasn’t granted a license so far to any company. Foreign internet casino sites can be accessed from the region.
Online Poker in Macau
Poker in Macau is legal and highly popular. Concerning online poker, there are no specific
Macau online poker laws, but the general regulations apply and
online poker in Macau is also considered to be legal in this autonomous region. However, as of June 2018, the Macau Chief Executive hasn’t granted a license to any company dealing with online poker.
Online lottery in Macau
The
Macau lottery laws, are composed mainly by the Instant Lottery Law (Law 12/87/M), which allows for organization of various forms of instant lottery as well as forms of Chinese lottery (Pacapio). Instant lotteries are operated on an exclusive basis by the Sociedade de Lotarias e Apostas Mútuas de Macau (SLOT) while the Chinese lottery is operated by the Sociedade de Lotarias Wing Hing, Limitada. As of June 2018, none of the lotteries have introduced an
online lottery in Macau.
Online bingo in Macau
Although there are no specific
Macau online bingo laws, some of the articles of the Macau Gaming Act refer to this game but they do not consider it to be a game of chance. Consequently bingo is not approved and cannot be offered in Macau casinos or other gambling venues, as of June 2018. Online bingo is also considered to be illegal in this autonomous region. Due to this status, there are no specialized sites, licensed to offer
online bingo in Macau.
Online sports betting in Macau
Online sportsbook sites in Macau are legal and highly popular. The Macau Gaming Law defines pari-mutuel betting as a form of betting on animal races or sports competitions which can be land based as well as online. The regulation of the betting sector in the country is also supervised by DICJ. Any supplier of online betting opportunities on the Macau market must obtain a proper license. Macau Slot Co Ltd hold currently the monopoly in Macau over sports betting while the Macau Horse Racing Co Ltd, which runs Macau Jockey Club, holds the monopoly over horse race betting in Macau. Their
internet sportsbook sites provide a wide variety of possibilities for betting on sports events as well as on horse betting such as fixed odd betting, live betting, etc.
Online daily fantasy sports in Macau
Online DFS sites in Macau do not have a legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in this region it is very probable that
internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive a legal status in Macau.
