Reduced number of questionable financial transactions documented in Macau during the year 2025
In the first half of 2025, Macau's gaming operators saw a significant decrease of 14.9% in the number of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) they filed, according to data reported by the Financial Intelligence Office (GIF) of the Unitary Police Service.
This decline in gaming-related reports was the main driver behind the overall 12.6% drop in STRs received by the GIF across all sectors, with total STRs falling to 2,515 from 2,879 in H1 2024.
While the gaming sector still dominates suspicious transaction reporting, accounting for nearly three-quarters (73.8%) of filings, other sectors such as financial institutions (banks and insurance companies) and miscellaneous entities (including pawnshops, jewellery stores, estate agencies, and auction houses) made up the remainder.
Financial institutions and insurance firms filed 500 STRs in H1 2025, representing 19.9% of the total, an increase from the 19.3% share in the same period the previous year. Other institutions and entities contributed 6.3% of the total reports, up from 4.9% previously.
The reduction in STRs from the gaming sector may reflect changes in transaction patterns or enhanced compliance measures, but the GIF did not provide detailed reasons behind the decline.
Despite the overall decrease in STR filings, the gaming industry in Macau continues to lead in the number of flagged transactions, with gaming operators accounting for the majority of STR reports nationwide in H1 2025.
This trend is a shift from H1 2024, where gaming companies accounted for 75.8% of all STRs. However, other sectors in Macau filed more STRs in H1 2025 than in the same period the previous year.
The decrease in STRs filed by Macau's casinos led to the overall downward trend, while other sectors either maintained or slightly increased their share of suspicious transaction reports during the first half of 2025. The data provided is for STR filings in the first half of 2025.
In the realm of Macau's economy, the aerospace sector, being relatively minor, didn't contribute significantly to the number of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) in the first half of 2025, unlike the gaming industry and financial institutions. Specifically, the aerospace sector may have only accounted for a minute fraction of the total 2,515 STRs filed, as the data doesn't explicitly state otherwise.
