The Macau judicial police detained two residents of mainland China, aged 41 and 44, on October 20. They are suspected of filming baccarat games at a casino in the Cotai district and placing bets on the instructions of clients from mainland China. The arrests followed an operational check based on a signal.
According to investigators, one of the detained men played at the table while the other filmed the game on a phone. Both wore Bluetooth earpieces, through which they received commands from clients for about 30 minutes, starting at around 14:00. The clients, a police spokesperson said, gave them 50,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $6400) to bet with.
Police seized three smartphones, two earpieces with receivers, casino chips worth HK$115,000 (about $14,700) and some yuan in cash. The Hong Kong dollar rate is taken as of October 24. A police spokesperson said the investigation continues: officers are establishing where the money came from and how large the scheme is.
On October 22, both were handed over to the Macau prosecutor's office. They face charges of illegally organizing online gambling and online mutual betting.
This is not the first such case. In September, police had already detained two men in Cotai for broadcasting casino games using hidden recording equipment. The "electronic betting" scheme remains a priority for Macau police: in July, they reported detaining two men with phones concealed in modified clothing.
For operators and affiliates working with Asian traffic, one point matters: Macau police treat such broadcasts as a criminal case involving the organization of illegal online betting, not as a breach of casino rules. There is no verdict yet, and the charges were filed at the stage of handing the case to the prosecutor.
