Casinos close 2022 with MOP42.2b in GGR, 51% drop from 2021

The local gaming industry has ended 2022 with an accumulated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of MOP42.198 billion, a figure very far from the government’s forecast and that represents a 51.4%, drop year-on-year according to an official release from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ).

2022 has become the worst year for casinos since 2004 due to the city’s strict Covid-19 restrictions that has kept gamblers away.

In 2021, which was during the pandemic, the GGR reached MOP86.863 billion.

The 2022 figure is the worst result recorded from the gaming industry in a long time, being 30% lower than 2020.

In a year almost always in the red, the February 2022 GGR surpassed the same period in 2021 by 6.1%. The second half of the year brought further drops starting in July (-95.3%). After that, the only month with positive signs was October with the drop year on year being limited to 10.7%, a figure that aggravated the gaming sector for the last two months of 2022.

On its own, December represented a decline of 56.3% with a total monthly GGR of just MOP3.482B.

Compared with pre-pandemic results, last year’s accumulated GGR decreased by 85.57% from MOP292.455 billion in 2019.

It is with this scenario that the so-called new era of Macau’s gaming industry begins, with the six new concessions starting on January 1, 2023, for a maximum period of 10 years.

The rule changes combined with the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic have reduced the number of casinos in Macau to 30.

Of those currently in operation, the majority (13) are operated by the Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM), followed by Venetian Macau with five, Galaxy Entertainment Group with four, the same number as Melco Resorts & Entertainment. Wynn Resorts and MGM operate two casinos each.