Asia Gaming Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 86 Week of 12 October 2026
(1) Macau’s Gaming Tax Revenue Rises 5.9% in First Nine Months of 2026, Reaching 74.56 Billion Patacas and Achieving 80% of Annual Budget
Macau’s gaming tax revenue grew 5.9% year-on-year to 74.56 billion Patacas in the first nine months of 2026, fulfilling over 80% of the annual budget and accounting for 84.1% of total government revenue. Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai confirmed that full-year GGR projections remain unchanged.
Coins.ph, the Philippines’ largest crypto exchange, is facing central bank disciplinary action and potential license revocation over transactions linked to restricted offshore gambling platforms. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s restrictions on its deposit channels threaten significant disruptions to the country’s stablecoin and remittance liquidity.
(3) Rampant Online Gambling Money Laundering Leads to Over 15,000 Dummy Account Arrests Over Three Years as Hong Kong Authorities Push AI-Powered Detection
Between 2024 and mid-2026, over 15,000 dummy account holders were arrested for money laundering linked to illegal online gambling in Hong Kong. Amid mounting regulatory scrutiny, authorities are urging financial institutions to deploy AI-driven detection tools while enforcing strict penalties against illicit betting networks.
(4) Singapore Gambling Regulatory Authority Expands AI Governance as Local Casino Patronage Drops to 91,000
Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority reported a third consecutive annual drop in local casino visitors, down to 91,000 patrons in 2025. In response, the regulator is expanding AI tools—including legislative chatbots and automated audit anomaly detection—to enhance compliance oversight across integrated resorts.
(1) Macau’s Gaming Tax Revenue Rises 5.9% in First Nine Months of 2026, Reaching 74.56 Billion Patacas and Achieving 80% of Annual Budget
(Photo Credit: exmoo.com)
Official data released by Macau’s Financial Services Bureau indicates that gaming tax revenue for the first nine months of 2026 reached approximately 74.56 billion Patacas, marking a 5.9% increase compared to the same period last year. For the month of September alone, gaming tax revenue stood at nearly 8.39 billion Patacas, representing a 7.4% increase from August and underscoring gaming levies as the primary pillar of government current revenue.
As of September 30, total government current revenue reached approximately 88.71 billion Patacas, with gaming taxes accounting for roughly 84.1% of the total. Given the 2026 budgeted gaming tax revenue of approximately 92.53 billion Patacas, the first nine-month figures have already achieved about 80.6% of the full-year target, demonstrating the continued resilience of the territory’s fiscal fundamentals under the current 10-year gaming concession framework.
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai recently noted that the government currently has no plans to adjust its initial full-year gross gaming revenue (GGR) projection of 236 billion Patacas, though ongoing operational performance and tax reconciliation cycles in the final quarter will determine the final fiscal outcome for the year.
News Source: https://www.exmoo.com/article/266729.html
(2) Philippines’ Largest Crypto Exchange Coins.ph Faces Central Bank Disciplinary Action Over Offshore Gambling Transactions, Risking License Revocation
(Photo Credit: BLOCK TEMPO)
Coins.ph, the largest cryptocurrency exchange and electronic wallet platform in the Philippines, is facing severe disciplinary action from the country’s central bank, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The regulatory crackdown stems from allegations that the exchange processed transactions for restricted offshore online gambling entities, a violation that could potentially lead to the revocation of its operating license.
As a core player in the global remittances market—handling over 18 million users and maintaining roughly 75% to 80% of the Philippine Peso-to-stablecoin liquidity pool—any suspension or revocation of Coins.ph’s license would create a massive liquidity void and send shockwaves across the regional cryptocurrency ecosystem. In early October, the BSP restricted deposit channels for DCPay Philippines, the parent entity of Coins.ph, following the departure of several high-ranking compliance and anti-money laundering executives earlier in the year.
Industry observers note that the regulatory friction highlights the ongoing compliance dilemma in Southeast Asia, where strict central bank bans on digital wallets routing gambling funds collide with unresolved demand from offshore operators seeking stablecoin payment rails.
News Source: https://www.blocktempo.com/philippines-largest-crypto-exchange-coins-ph-central-bank-regulatory-action-gambling/
(3) Rampant Online Gambling Money Laundering Leads to Over 15,000 Dummy Account Arrests Over Three Years as Hong Kong Authorities Push AI-Powered Detection
(Photo Credit: on.cc)
Illegal gambling syndicates increasingly exploit online platforms and dummy bank accounts to launder illicit proceeds. In response to an oral query raised by Legislative Councillor Nixie Lam regarding measures to support financial institutions in intercepting illicit betting transactions and regulating illegal online content, government authorities disclosed comprehensive anti-money laundering statistics for the 2024 to 2026 period.
The data reveals that over 90% of individuals arrested for money laundering were holders of dummy (puppet) accounts. Specifically, out of 8,607 arrests in 2024, 7,680 involved dummy account holders; in 2025, 4,576 out of 4,949 arrestees were dummy account holders; and in the first half of 2026, 2,899 out of 3,095 arrestees were similarly implicated. Successful convictions have accelerated, rising from 568 in 2024 and 691 in 2025 to 627 convictions recorded in the first half of 2026 alone.
Authorities emphasized that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) have issued joint guidelines urging financial institutions to deploy artificial intelligence and advanced technology to monitor suspicious transactions and freeze illicit assets. Law enforcement agencies continue to clamp down on online syndicates, reminding the public that participating in or promoting illegal gambling carries severe penalties of up to HK$5 million in fines and 7 years’ imprisonment.
News Source: https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20261014/bkn-20261014154156223-1014_00822_001.html
(Photo Credit: exmoo.com)
The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) of Singapore released its annual report, revealing that approximately 91,000 local citizens and permanent residents entered the city-state’s two integrated resorts (Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa) in 2025. This represents a 3.2% decline from 94,000 patrons in 2024 and marks the third consecutive annual decrease since 2022, when local attendance stood at 104,000. Local patrons now account for roughly 2.7% of Singapore’s adult population.
To bolster regulatory oversight while maintaining low crime rates in and around casino premises, the GRA is advancing an AI master plan. The regulator is expanding the use of artificial intelligence and digital tools across its operational and compliance frameworks. Key initiatives include implementing smart AI chatbots to assist regulatory staff in navigating financial and gaming legislations, as well as deploying AI algorithms to automatically audit log records and flag suspicious or anomalous transaction patterns.
The decline in local patronage coincides with Singapore’s increased levy policy introduced in 2019, which raised entry taxes for local residents to SGD 150 for single-day passes and SGD 3,000 for annual passes, reflecting the efficacy of social safeguards alongside modern technological enforcement.
News Source: https://www.exmoo.com/article/266611.html
