Part III: Business & Regulation · Gaming Regulation & Compliance

Criminal Penalty

Legal

A punishment imposed by a court of law for commission of a criminal offense related to gaming activities. In the casino context, criminal penalties may apply to offenses such as cheating, theft, money laundering, illegal gambling operations, operating without a license, structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements, and other violations of gaming law or the BSA. Criminal penalties can include imprisonment, fines, probation, and forfeiture of assets. The prosecution of Alvin Chau (Suncity junket founder, 18-year sentence) and Levo Chan (Tak Chun, 14-year sentence) in Macau in 2023 for illegal gaming and organized crime illustrates the severity of criminal penalties for gaming-related offenses.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.