Macau's DICJ bolsters forces with 60 new inspectors
Macau, long considered Asia’s gaming powerhouse, is levelling up its game—literally and figuratively. In 2025, Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) rolled out its largest staffing surge since 2019, inducting 60 new inspectors, reported by AGB. This signals a serious commitment to crack down on money laundering, tighten oversight on junket operators, and keep pace with crypto-related risks.
Composition of the new recruits
The fresh blood comprises 45 anti-money laundering (AML) specialists and 15 IT auditors. This balanced approach highlights Macau’s dual focus—monitoring cash flows and decoding digital trails. These inspectors will complete a gruelling 12-week training programme that includes blockchain analysis, behavioural forensics, and cross-border financial tracking. They’re not just watchdogs; they’re cyber-sleuths in suits.
Image Credit: Asia Gaming Brief
The growing focus on AML compliance
Money laundering is a real threat to Macau’s reputation. As China’s anti-corruption campaign tightens its grip, Macau needs to show it’s serious about clean gaming operations. Otherwise, it risks losing high-value tourists and government favour.
Administrative Regulation No.7/2006 is the foundation, but recent amendments have made it even tougher. Casinos now must meticulously track high-value transactions over MOP 500,000 ($62,000) and conduct enhanced due diligence on politically exposed persons (PEPs).
Blockchain analysis as a new weapon
Nowadays, criminals hide dirty money behind complex crypto transactions. DICJ’s new inspectors are equipped to trace blockchain activities, adding another layer of oversight.
In 2024, an eye-popping case saw a MOP 1.2 billion ($150 million) junket-linked ring busted after AI linked unusual chip purchases with sudden property buys in neighbouring Zhuhai. It was a wake-up call Macau couldn’t afford to ignore. The DICJ has embraced AI like never before. Their new systems can monitor betting patterns, cross-reference data, and flag suspicious behaviour in milliseconds.
AI helped increase suspicious transaction reports by 22 percent in 2024 alone. This is a positive development, as it means watchdogs are alert at the right times.
Philippines’ PAGCOR and their struggles
PAGCOR is struggling with a thin inspector-to-table ratio of 1:72. In contrast, Macau has cut its ratio dramatically from previous years, aiming for much tighter control. As Japan and Thailand inch closer to opening their integrated resorts (IRs), Macau’s model—blending tech and human intelligence—could become the gold standard.
A 2024 University of Macau study revealed that 38 percent of casinos were still not fully compliant with chip traceability protocols. Institutional inertia, coupled with occasional pushback from operators, makes full enforcement an ongoing battle.
Post-Pandemic Gaming Landscape
Gross gaming revenue (GGR) bounced back to 65 percent of 2019 levels in early 2025. However, the high-rolling VIPs that once filled Macau’s coffers now contribute just 12 percent of total GGR, compared to a whopping 66 percent pre-pandemic.
Casinos must now double down on verifying customer identities, especially for transactions above the new lower threshold of MOP 50,000 ($6,200). Macau is betting that tight regulation will attract the right customers rather than scare them away. In a future where reputation equals revenue, robust oversight could be its ace up the sleeve.
