ComplianceMacau
Macau advertising rules
The advertising rules that apply to gambling in Macau, and how the Playbook RG library maps to them: required disclosures, prohibited content, and channel-by-channel guidance. Educational reference, not legal advice.
- Tier
- 1
- Odds format
- Decimal
- Currency
- MOP
- Sports culture
- International
- Language
- zh-hant
- Reading level
- Grade 9–12
- Channels
- In venue, Print, Digital
- Tone
- Confident informative
- Audience
- General
- Game types
- Slots, Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, Sic bo, Fan tan, Poker
- Last updated
- 2026-08-09
Cultural profile
- Voice: Peer
- Framing: Collective
- Humor: Restrained
- Directness: Indirect
- Comfort: Cautious
Adaptation · Base This module covers Macau casino concessionaires and land-based casino communications. Chinese and Portuguese are Macau's official languages; English summaries are reference material, not authoritative legal text. Law 7/2026 introduces a substantially tighter advertising regime from 1 January 2027, so campaigns crossing that date need a separate review.
Scope and governing sources
This module is for casino gaming conducted by a Macau concessionaire. It does not authorize online gambling or advertising for an unlicensed product.
| Source | What to check |
|---|---|
| Law 16/2001, as republished after Law 7/2022 | Concession system, casino gaming information and promotional activity, and responsible-gambling duties |
| Law 7/2022 | Amendments that added the current responsible-gambling framework |
| DICJ responsible-gambling information | Current public-facing information and implementation material |
| DICJ exclusion service | Self-exclusion and third-party exclusion information |
| Law 7/2026 (effective 1 January 2027) | New advertising regime; verify the official text and implementing guidance before using any 2027 campaign |
Chinese and Portuguese versions of Macau legislation are authoritative. Treat an English translation or summary as a navigation aid only.
Core advertising rule
Article 42-A of Law 16/2001, as republished after the 2022 amendments, provides the central deployment rule:
- A concessionaire may disseminate information about gaming and gaming activities only inside casino gaming areas, unless another legal provision permits it.
- Activity outside Macau must comply with the law of the place where it appears.
- A concessionaire must promote preventive awareness, codes of conduct, and good practices relating to gambling.
- A concessionaire must maintain a responsible-gambling promotion plan that gives the public and tourists sufficient information for responsible, moderate, and controlled gambling, and must review and improve that plan periodically.
Do not treat a hotel, restaurant, entertainment venue, social account, or general resort website as part of the casino gaming area without a documented legal basis.
Transition for 2027 advertising
Law 7/2026 is scheduled to replace the 1989 advertising law on 1 January 2027 and materially tightens gambling-advertising restrictions. A campaign that will remain live in 2027 needs a fresh review against the final official text, any implementing rules, and current DICJ guidance.
For transition planning:
- Inventory every public and third-party placement, including social, influencer, livestream, sponsorship, search, and resort-level creative.
- Separate responsible-gambling education and game-rule information from commercial acquisition material.
- Record the legal basis for each permitted placement.
- Add an expiry or mandatory reapproval date no later than 31 December 2026 to legacy campaign approvals.
Audience, language, and presentation
| Element | Deployment rule |
|---|---|
| Minimum casino entry age | Use 21+ wherever a player could reasonably mistake the material for an invitation available to younger people; confirm final placement with local counsel |
| Language | Provide Traditional Chinese and Portuguese where the approved placement or audience requires them; use professionally reviewed translations |
| Currency | Use MOP unless the transaction or approved offer is expressly denominated otherwise |
| Help information | Use the current contact and wording in the operator’s approved plan and current DICJ material; do not rely on an old number embedded in a template |
| Tone | Use restrained, factual language; avoid urgency, social pressure, and claims that elevate gambling as a route to status or financial success |
Required disclosures and controls
Macau does not supply one universal English advertising disclaimer for every format. The required content depends on the communication, placement, concession conditions, DICJ directions, and the operator’s responsible-gambling plan.
| Required element | Where to apply | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Permitted-placement basis | Every gaming-information or promotional placement | Record why the placement is inside a permitted casino gaming area or identify the legal exception |
| Approved responsible-gambling information | Gaming-related information and the touchpoints covered by the operator’s plan | Use the current, approved text without weakening its meaning |
| Current local help contact | Wherever the approved plan or DICJ direction calls for support information | Pull the contact from the current approved source at publication time |
| 21+ entry cue | Entry, wayfinding, promotional, or informational material where eligibility could be unclear | Make the age cue prominent and keep it with the call to action |
| Material conditions | Any permitted offer or benefit | State eligibility, duration, limits, and material restrictions in the same language and medium as the offer |
| Language/version record | Every translated asset | Record source version, locale, translator or reviewer, approval date, and expiry/review date |
Content restrictions
Do not publish material that:
- places casino gaming information or promotional activity outside the legally permitted scope;
- presents gambling as a financial plan, employment substitute, or reliable way to recover losses;
- pressures people to continue, increase stakes, or act before they can consider the terms;
- obscures material conditions, the nature of the product, or the cost of participation;
- targets people barred from casino entry or is inconsistent with exclusion controls;
- uses a help contact, age rule, translated disclosure, or approval that is no longer current; or
- will cross the 1 January 2027 transition without review under Law 7/2026.
Responsible-gambling and exclusion information
The operator’s plan should make it easy to find practical information about moderate and controlled gambling, signs of harm, available support, and exclusion.
Macau’s DICJ exclusion service permits eligible people aged 21 or older to request exclusion from all or selected casinos. A third-party application requires the affected person’s confirmation. The period can run for up to two years. Link to the current DICJ service rather than copying procedural details that may change.
Channel review
| Channel | Review question |
|---|---|
| Casino gaming area | Is the exact location within the legally permitted gaming area, and is the content covered by the current approval and RG plan? |
| Resort public area | What law or approval permits gaming information here? If none is documented, do not publish it |
| Website, app, email, or social | Where will the content be received, and which local laws apply outside Macau? |
| Paid media, sponsorship, or influencer | Is the placement permitted now, and has it been separately reviewed for the 2027 regime? |
| Print and wayfinding | Are Traditional Chinese and Portuguese versions reviewed, legible, and version-matched? |
Playbook RG content compliance checklist
- Confirm the product and operator are within the Macau concession framework
- Record the legal basis for the exact placement
- Confirm whether the asset will remain live on or after 1 January 2027
- Use the current responsible-gambling wording and contact from the approved plan
- Include a prominent 21+ cue wherever eligibility could be unclear
- State all material offer conditions next to the offer
- Review Traditional Chinese and Portuguese with fluent reviewers
- Check exclusion, suppression, and audience controls before distribution
- Record the source version, approval owner, approval date, and review date
- Obtain local legal and compliance approval before publication
Playbook RG content compliance matrix
| Content | Default use | Macau adaptation |
|---|---|---|
| Game guides and odds explanations | Educational content | Confirm that the placement is permitted; retain factual game information and approved RG elements |
| Limits and self-check tools | Player support | Align with the operator’s responsible-gambling plan and current DICJ directions |
| Helpline or support card | Help pathway | Insert the current approved Macau contact at publication time; do not hard-code an unverified number |
| Promotional collateral | Acquisition or retention | Use only with a documented placement basis, complete terms, and legal/compliance approval |
| Social and digital content | Public communication | Review the law where the audience receives it and separately review any content live in 2027 |
| Translated assets | Local player communication | Maintain matched Traditional Chinese and Portuguese versions with human and compliance review |
Cross-references: Macau compliance module | Application Guidelines | Messaging Framework
Educational mapping, not legal advice. Verify against the cited regulations and with counsel.