Macau casino self-exclusion requests hit record in 2025

Macau's Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) recorded a sharp rise in casino self-exclusion applications in 2025, with requests climbing to their highest level since the system was introduced more than a decade ago.

The regulator received 952 applications during the year, up nearly 68% year on year and the largest annual total since the self-exclusion framework took effect in 2012, official data showed.

Most requests were submitted voluntarily. A total of 828 applications, or about 87%, were filed by gamblers seeking to bar themselves from entering casinos, while 124 requests were lodged by third parties, including family members. Both categories reached new annual records.

Applications were relatively evenly distributed throughout the year, although the bureau reported a notable increase in the third quarter. In the final three months alone, the regulator processed 236 requests, including 210 self-exclusion cases.

The surge follows a record year in 2024, when the bureau handled 567 applications, up 14.8% from 2023. Since the law came into force on Nov. 1, 2012, the regulator has processed 5,789 self-exclusion-related requests, with voluntary exclusions accounting for roughly 87% of the total.

Under current rules in Macau, individuals can be barred from entering all or specific casinos for a period of up to two years, either at their own request or following applications submitted by close relatives.