On Thursday, the Macau authorities disclosed that they have detained a total of 13 individuals in connection with the violent altercation that erupted at a Cotai casino on Monday. All of the arrested individuals were Chinese nationals from mainland China.
Violent brawl leads to 13 arrested and ban from Macau Casinos
During a press conference on Thursday morning, the Judiciary Police (PJ) and the Public Security Police Force (PSP) provided additional information about the event. The 13 men have now been prohibited from entering Macau for periods ranging from one to five years. They were charged with engaging in the brawl, supporting the brawl, and overstaying their visas.
According to the authorities, ten of the arrested individuals were identified as the primary instigators of the violence, while three others did not directly participate in the fight but were seen shouting and cheering at the scene.
As per the PJ, the brawl involved a group of four individuals led by a man named Sun, who predominantly placed bets on Banker, and a group of six individuals led by a man named Lui, who mainly placed bets on Player. The disagreement between the two groups began during the initial stages of the baccarat game they were playing against each other.
As the game progressed, the tension between the two sides escalated, leading to a verbal argument that eventually turned violent. The PJ noted that both parties were betting against each other, and the dispute between them intensified over time.
The casino security team was the first to intervene and managed to halt the fight, detaining five of the participants and the three individuals who were cheering for the altercation. The eight individuals were subsequently handed over to the PJ. On Tuesday, the police arrested an additional five individuals at a residence in Macau, bringing the total number of arrests to 13.
The group of five individuals who were apprehended at a Macau residence on Tuesday were discovered to have overstayed their visas by a period ranging from one to three months. The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) has banned all 13 arrested individuals from entering any Macau casinos for two years.
The Public Security Police Force (PSP) stated that the social media circulation of the brawl video had portrayed Macau tourism in a negative light, thereby categorising the incident as severe.
The Monday arrests resulted in the banning of the five main participants from entering Macau for four years, while the three individuals who were spectating were banned for one year. The five individuals who overstayed their visas have been banned from entering Macau for five years.
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