(Bloomberg) -- Macau gaming revenue showed little sign of improvement, notching a sixth straight month of declines of at least 90%, as a gradual relaxation of travel and visa curbs by China has so far brought few visitors.
- Gross gaming revenue fell 90% to 2.21 billion patacas ($277 million) in September from a year earlier, according to data from the Gaming Inspection & Coordination Bureau. That was worse than the median analyst estimate for an 86% decline.
Key Insights
- Macau has seen only a trickle of arrivals even though visas have been made available to residents in China's Guangdong province -- which previously accounted for a third of Macau's visitors -- since late August.
- Casino floors have remained largely empty as inconvenient requirements still make it difficult to enter Macau from the mainland, such as obtaining a negative virus test. Other destinations such as Hainan are proving a draw for Chinese travelers with such perks as duty-free shopping.
- Macau also faces challenges as China is tightening controls on outbound capital flow. Liquidity continues to be tight in the enclave, with junkets seeing capital withdrawals.
- Macau trails other gambling hubs in bouncing back from Covid-19. The Las Vegas Strip, for example, saw gaming revenue recover to 60% of last year's level in July after casinos gradually began reopening in early June.
- The industry expects gaming revenue during China's Golden Week, which started Thursday, to be about 30%-50% of last year's level, said Linda Chen, vice chairman of Wynn Macau Ltd.
Market Performance
- The Bloomberg Intelligence index of Macau casino operators dropped 15% in September amid the slow pace of recovery and analyst downgrades. The benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 6.8% in the same period.
Get More
- Click here for analysts' survey on Macau gaming
- Sept. 30, Macau's Global Gambling Crown Slips With Chinese Staying Home
- Sept. 21, Macau Stocks Down as Credit Suisse Turns Cautious on Sector
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