Macau Common Crime – Counterfeit Casino Chips

Macau is facing the common crime of counterfeit casino chips. In the latest incident, police arrested five men for defrauding a casino using 585 counterfeit chips. Each chip was marked with a denomination of HK$10,000 ($1,280), tricking the casino out of at least HK$1.8 million.

In another incident this year, authorities dismantled a counterfeit chip syndicate, resulting in a staggering loss of HK$1.62 million for a local casino.

In recent years, casino fraud has increased, inflicting significant financial losses. Data from Macau’s Financial Intelligence Office has revealed a threefold increase in suspicious transactions, reaching 3,431 in 2023, compared to 1,177 in 2022.

Making counterfeit chips is not, however, that easy. Casino chips are usually made of moulded plastic or clay and vary in weight, style, design and colour from one casino to the next. Painting a chip the correct shade without altering the weight or feel isn’t straightforward. Further, reproducing striped colours, UV markings, intricate inlays with logos, denominations and security features like holograms presents additional challenges.