Prostitution is legal in Macau [2] unlike in mainland China , because the city is a special administrative region of the country. However, operating a brothel and procuring are both illegal in Macau, with the latter punishable by a maximum jail sentence of 8 years. Macau's economy is based largely on tourism with significant input from gambling casinos , drugs and prostitution [8] which has led to the city being called a Sin City.
Prostitution was recorded in Macau during the 19th [11] and 20th centuries. After prostitution was regulated, and in the s the government attempted to end the exploitation and abuse of prostitutes. In the s there were reports alleging that Chinese triad members were arranging marriages of convenience with Portuguese prostitutes in order to secure Portuguese citizenship. Syndicates from China are said to lure women from mainland China to work as prostitutes in Macau with false advertisements for casino jobs, work as dancers, or other types of legitimate employment.
Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. Overview of the legality and practice of prostitution in Macau. Main article: Sex trafficking in Macau. The Independent. Retrieved 22 August Retrieved 15 August South China Morning Post.
Retrieved 5 August Macau History and Society. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 13 April Department of State. Retrieved 16 September Prostitution is legal and common; however, procurement and the operation of a brothel are illegal. Nevertheless, the SAR had a large sex trade, including brothels, most of which were believed to be controlled by Chinese organized crime groups, and many of those exploited by the trade were women.
Melissa Hope Ditmore ed. Encyclopedia of prostitution and sex work, Volume 1 illustrated ed. Greenwood Publishing Group. Retrieved 29 February By , the total number of prostitutes increased, to Most were Chinese, with a minority of them being Portuguese the Portuguese colony of Macao was near , or other nationalities. Globe Pequot. The Central was Macao's glittering gambling casino, packed every night with Portuguese prostitutes, high rollers from Hong Kong, and hundreds of Chinese playing fan tan, their favorite card game.
