The Financial Intelligence Office (GIF) of the Unitary Police Service (SPU) of the Macau Special Administrative Region has reported a decline in the number of suspicious transaction reports (STRs) received during 2025. As Macau’s financial intelligence unit, the GIF acts as the central authority for receiving, analysing and disseminating suspicious transaction information. It operates within the SPU and works in coordination with other government departments, law enforcement agencies and prosecutorial authorities.
The data show that 4,925 STRs were filed over the year, representing a 6.1 percent decrease compared with 2024. The figures form part of the GIF’s annual statistical disclosure on reporting activity under Macau’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework. Even with fewer reports overall, gaming still made up the biggest share of STR submissions, showing that the sector remains central to compliance efforts in the territory.
Casinos remain primary source of filings
According to the GIF, gaming operators submitted 3,603 suspicious transaction reports during 2025. This represented 73.1 percent of all STRs received by the office over the period. By comparison, financial institutions and insurance companies filed 1,008 reports, accounting for 20.5 percent of the total. Other reporting entities, including non-financial institutions subject to reporting obligations, accounted for the remaining 314 reports, or 6.4 percent, the regulator said.
The sectoral distribution broadly mirrors that recorded in the previous year. Data cited from GIF disclosures for 2024 show that 5,245 STRs were filed in total, with gaming operators responsible for 3,837 reports, equivalent to 73.2 percent of submissions. Financial institutions and insurance companies accounted for 20.9 percent, while other entities represented 5.9 percent.
The 2025 release does not set out reasons for the continued concentration of STR filings within the gaming sector, nor does it provide commentary on underlying transactional behaviour.
Reports referred to prosecutors
The GIF also disclosed that 118 suspicious transaction reports were disseminated to the Public Prosecutions Office during 2025.
The authorities did not share additional information on the types of transactions flagged, the sectors from which the reports originated, or whether any of the referrals led to investigations or prosecutions. The GIF also did not release an industry-wise breakdown of the reports that were passed on.
Under Macau law, the dissemination of STRs to prosecuting authorities forms part of the GIF’s statutory function when transactions are assessed as requiring further handling by law enforcement or judicial bodies.
Regulatory framework unchanged
The publication of the 2025 statistics does not announce any changes to Macau’s regulatory framework, nor does it signal the introduction of new reporting requirements or enforcement measures.
Gaming operators in Macau are required to submit suspicious transaction reports to the GIF when transactions or patterns of activity raise concerns related to potential money laundering or terrorist financing. These obligations apply regardless of transaction value and operate alongside reporting requirements imposed on financial institutions, insurance companies and other regulated entities.
The annual publication of STR statistics provides a factual overview of reporting activity across sectors. The figures do not attribute causation, assess compliance effectiveness, or draw conclusions about criminal trends within the territory.
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