Macau Gaming Revenue Rebounds on Lunar New Year Tourist Boost

(Bloomberg) -- Macau casinos are showing tentative signs of recovery from an extended slowdown, with gaming revenue rising 6.1% in February from a year earlier as tourists flocked to the city during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Gross gaming revenue was 7.76 billion patacas ($964 million), according to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. The results slightly trailed the median analyst estimate of a 7% year-on-year increase.

Revenue rose 22% from the previous month, though was down 69% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Key Insights

Macau saw a jump in visitors during the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday that occurred in late January and early February, with arrivals up 25% from a year earlier to almost 114,000. Still, that's 91% below pre-pandemic levels.
While tourism has slowly picked up, the enclave continues to face headwinds. JPMorgan Chase & Co. said in February that local media had reported some mainland cities had tightened visa approvals for residents seeking to visit Macau. China's Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi urged a further crackdown on cross-border gambling, raising concerns over the potential impact on high-rolling bettors in Macau's $3.5 billion VIP sector.
The sector has been the focus of an unprecedented crackdown that's included the arrest of the heads of the city's two largest junket operators. Analysts expect VIP revenue to plunge 47% this year.
There's also heightened concern in mainland China about the virus spreading from Hong Kong, which is in the middle of its worst ever outbreak. Several travelers from Hong Kong have tested positive in Macau, and the gambling hub has tightened entry requirement for visitors from the city.