Macau Posts 26% Increase In Revenues From Previous Year

Macau experienced a slight dip in its gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the month of April. According to data released by the local regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), Macau’s GGR amounted to MOP18.5 billion ($2.29 billion), reflecting a 4.9 percent decrease compared to March’s figures. However, this still marked a 26 percent increase from the previous year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted Macau, in April 2019, before the pandemic hit, Macau reported a GGR of MOP23.6 billion ($2.91 billion), showing a substantial decrease of 21.4 percent compared to the pre-pandemic levels.

Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic, Macau’s casino GGR for the first four months of 2024 reached MOP75.87 billion ($9.36 billion), demonstrating a remarkable 53.7 percent increase from the previous year. However, it is important to note that this figure is still 23.9 percent lower than the same period in 2019, which recorded a GGR of MOP99.74 billion ($12.30 billion).

Several factors contributed to the fluctuations in Macau’s GGR for the month of April. Firstly, the Easter holidays, which took place from March 29th to April 1st, only had one day that fell within April. This potentially impacted the overall revenue for the month.

Additionally, mainland China’s Ching Ming holiday, celebrated from April 4th to 6th, is a public holiday. Macau experienced an influx of visitors during this period, with a total of 425,428 visitor arrivals during the four-day Ching Ming Festival holiday period, including April 7th, which fell on a Sunday. On the actual day of the festival, April 4th, visitor arrivals reached 136,363.

Macau’s steady recovery is evident in the year-on-year increase in GGR. The increase of 26 percent from the previous year indicates a positive trend and suggests that the industry is moving in the right direction.