Macau’s VIP gambling revenue may be in the dumps but casino-related crime is on the rise, according to the special administrative region’s security chief.

On Monday, Macau Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak announced that the overall number of local crimes had remained relatively stable over the first nine months of 2019, rising only 0.4% from the same period last year.

However, gaming-related crimes were up 19.5% to 1,599, with so-called ‘scams’ up by two-thirds to 291. Wong clarified that gaming-related scams primarily involved illicit money exchanges that either never delivered on their promises or paid customers in counterfeit currency.

But casino operators weren’t spared, as numerous scammers tried to pass fake casino chips or colluded with table dealers to ensure they were paid out higher winnings than they were actually owned.