The Public Security Police (PSP) have fined nine local men for gambling on games of poker being played on two stone tables in Luís de Camões Garden last week.
The case, which occurred on Wednesday last week, was announced in a statement on Monday night.
The nine men are aged between 57 and 78, the PSP statement said.
The statement said that when PSP officers were patrolling Luís de Camões Garden on Wednesday last week, they saw the nine men playing poker for money on two tables next to each other.
According to the statement, the officers seized three packs of poker cards as well as cash used for gambling.
The statement noted that the nine men had violated Article 19 of Law 8/96/M, Macau’s current illicit gambling law, according to which those who gamble in public areas face a fine of between 300 and 1,000 patacas.
The current illicit gambling law was enacted in 1996 when Macau was still under temporary Portuguese administration.
Luís de Camões Garden is one of several parks or gardens in Macau listed as officially-protected cultural heritage sites.
Several poker games are run by Macau’s gaming concessionaires.
This handout photo released by the Public Security Police (PSP) on Monday night shows two PSP officers about to escort six gamblers on a table in Luís de Camões Garden on Wednesday last week.
