The Macau government has proposed a jail term of “one to five years” for those found guilty of making “illegal loans” for gambling in casino premises, as part of the draft “Law to Combat Gambling Crimes”, flagged in December, and which has just been published by the Legislative Assembly.

The bill is to be considered by the city’s Legislative Assembly. The legal proposal is an update to Macau’s existing Illegal Gambling Regime, known as Law No.8/96/M.

The city’s government suggests that “whoever, with the intention of obtaining a financial benefit for themselves or another person, provides someone with money or other means for gambling”, will face, upon conviction, a prison sentence of “one to five years”, as per the draft bill.

In aggravated circumstances – i.e., if the accused person is found to have demanded an identification document as a “guarantee” from the borrower – those convicted face “two to eight years” of confinement, according to the draft bill.

Under the proposal, anyone convicted of the respective crimes of: illegal exploitation of games of chance; illegal loans; coercion of another person to practise gambling or granting means to practise gambling; or of fraudulent gambling, will face the punishment – in addition to imprisonment and fines – of an entry ban for any Macau gaming establishment, for a period of two to 10 years, the bill said.

Anyone convicted of the crimes set out in the Law to Combat Gambling Crimes – if they are not residents of Macau – could be “expelled or banned from entering the Macau SAR [Special Administrative Region] for a period of five to 10 years”.

In the bill, the Macau government has also proposed that those found guilty of the crimes of: illegal exploitation of games of chance; online gambling; illicit lottery; illegal loans for gambling; coercion of another person to practise gambling or granting means to practise gambling; or fraudulent gambling, should be considered part of a “secret association or society”. The latter legal term in Macau is usually understood to be a reference to Chinese criminal groupings commonly referred to as “triads”, and such is considered a crime that might result in longer prison sentences.

The latest legal proposal incorporates another step: to increase maximum jail sentences and the permitted duration of what is termed ‘preventive detention’ in relation to gambling crimes, including for the practise of under-the-table betting via the “multiplier”. That had been flagged by local government officials in the December briefing outlining the general terms of the bill.