Gaming revenue decline expected after holiday boost

Daily gross gaming revenue (GGR) is projected to fall by around 35% following the profitable Golden Week holiday period, Vitaly Umansky analyst from Seaport Research Partners said. The region saw an estimated MOP6.5 billion in gaming revenue during the first six days of October, thanks to strong visitation and good weather. The daily average GGR of MOP1,080 million was just 7% lower than the daily average during Golden Week 2019 when VIP gaming accounted for over 35% of GGR, and 30% higher than last year. However, the analyst projects that the rest of the month will average around MOP601 million, indicating a 4.5% increase compared to September but a 5.7% decline compared to the daily average in August. Despite the expected decline, the average GGR per visitor during the recent period is estimated to have surpassed this year’s Lunar New Year period by more than 50%, implying that gamblers held higher value. Based on Seaport’s estimate, October is anticipated to yield MOP21.5 billion in GGR, potentially exceeding the previous year’s level by over 10%.