Macau casino suspicious transaction reports up 8.7% in H1 2026
Macau’s casino operators submitted more suspicious transaction reports (STRs) in the first half of 2026, with the gaming sector remaining the largest source of anti-money laundering (AML) filings and driving an increase in overall reporting, according to the Financial Intelligence Office (GIF).
Casino concessionaires filed 2,018 STRs between January and June, up 8.7 per cent from 1,856 during the same period last year. “The total number of STRs received by the Financial Intelligence Office of the Unitary Police Service during the first half of 2026 was 2,753, which had increased by 9.5 per cent as compared with the same period in 2025,” the office said.
“The change was mainly due to the increase in the number of STRs reported by the gaming sector,” it added.
Gaming operators account for nearly three-quarters of filings
The gaming industry continued to dominate suspicious transaction reporting, accounting for 73.3 per cent of all STRs received during the reporting period. “STRs received from the financial sector and gaming sector constituted 19.1 per cent and 73.3 per cent of the total, respectively, whereas those received from other institutions constituted 7.6 per cent,” the GIF said.
Under Macau’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework, gaming operators are required to report transactions or patterns of activity suspected to be linked to money laundering or terrorist financing. Similar obligations apply to banks, insurers and designated non-financial businesses, including pawnshops, jewellery shops, real estate agencies, and auction houses.
Reporting trend remains consistent
The latest figures continue a long-standing pattern in which the gaming sector accounts for the majority of suspicious transaction reports in Macau.
In 2025, the GIF received 4,925 STRs, down 6.1 per cent from 5,245 in 2024. Gaming operators submitted 3,603 reports, accounting for 73.1 per cent of all filings. Financial institutions and insurance companies lodged 1,008 reports, or 20.5 per cent, while other reporting entities submitted 314 reports, representing 6.4 per cent.
The annual statistics do not indicate whether increases or decreases in reports reflect changes in criminal activity, as suspicious transaction reports are part of regulated entities’ compliance obligations.
Fifty-four reports referred to prosecutors
The Financial Intelligence Office said it disseminated 54 suspicious transaction reports to the Public Prosecutions Office during the first half of 2026.
The report did not provide details on the nature of the transactions referred, the sectors from which they originated, or whether the referrals resulted in criminal investigations or prosecutions. It also announced no changes to Macau’s anti-money laundering reporting framework or compliance requirements.
Casino reporting rises despite softer gaming revenue
The increase in suspicious transaction reporting came as Macau’s casino revenue weakened during the second quarter. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) fell 12.1 per cent year-on-year to MOP18.52 billion ($2.30 billion) in June, with analysts attributing the decline to the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026, which diverted consumer attention and spending from casinos. Despite the June slowdown, Macau’s gaming industry generated MOP126.90 billion ($15.74 billion) in GGR during the first half of 2026, up 6.8 per cent from a year earlier, indicating that anti-money laundering reporting increased even as monthly gaming demand softened.
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