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Macau's casino regulator, the Game Inspection and Coordination Bureau, said it has opened an investigation into unlicensed individuals allegedly engaged in activities similar to VIP game promoters known as junkets. The regulator said in a social media post on Wednesday that such so-called unlicensed agents were found during regular inspections at casinos.

The bureau did not specify when the latest inspection was conducted or the casino.

Casino regulators said the checks were meant to monitor businesses in VIP and public gaming areas of urban casinos, preventing illegal activities such as "winner" betting and revenue split agreements in VIP rooms, and monitoring whether people engaged in game brokerage services have a valid license.

So-called multipliers are the practice of granting multiple multipliers to the amount bet on the table through private agreements between the parties involved. They also evade the full 40% tax levied on the total gaming revenue of the Macau market.

"We do not have a valid VIP game promoter license, but we have identified activities similar to those of individuals performing the activities of game promoters," the gaming regulator said, adding that it has opened an investigation into those people.

The bureau did not elaborate on the activities carried out by unlicensed gaming agents, but added that it would "strictly track [cases] in accordance with the law." It added that this included a ban on casinos as a "precautionary measure" for those people.

Several sources familiar with the matter told GGRAsia that the unlicensed gaming agent is active in Macau's VIP gaming arena, which is directly managed by the operator, registering himself as a rolling chip program player and reselling the chips to other customers. After they played, the so-called unlicensed agents are reportedly sharing rolling commissions and other forms of play rewards with fellow players.

However, the practice has been plagued by investigations by Macau gaming regulators and tougher sanctions in recent months, two sources said in comments to GGRAsia. Unlicensed gaming agents uncovered by regulators were not only barred from Macau casinos but also had to pay fines, the sources observed.

GGRAsia last week approached casino regulators to confirm investigations and sanctions on so-called unlicensed game agents and related game venues. It did not receive a response when this article was published online.