Gaming recovery slightly slows in November to MOP16.04 billion

Macau’s gaming revenue reached MOP16.04 billion ($2 billion) in November. This figure represents a significant 435% increase compared to the same period last year when the city was still under Covid restrictions.

Reported by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), this data shows a noticeable year-on-year increase in growth in the gaming sector.

Despite this substantial annual increase, November’s revenue shows a decrease from October 2023’s MOP19.5 billion. October’s figures had marked a post-pandemic high, indicating that the November revenue, while strong, is lower than the recent peak achieved by the industry.

The revenue for November is also notable as it represents the fourth-largest monthly total of the year.

This level of income is a significant rise from the MOP3 billion recorded in the same month last year, showing a strong trend of recovery over the year.

Cumulatively, from January to November 2023, Macau’s gaming revenue totaled MOP164.5 billion.

This cumulative figure is an important indicator of the sector’s performance over the year and demonstrates the scale of recovery since the Covid-19 downturn.

As one of the leading gaming destinations in the world, Macau continues to attract millions of visitors per year, with the majority from mainland China and Hong Kong.

After the opening of borders and the lifting of most Covid restrictions in January, the Macau government has been keen to diversify markets beyond greater China. Promotional visits to various countries, particularly in the Southeast region, have been organized albeit with limited success so far.

From January to May, the latest period with sufficient available data, Macau welcomed 9,436,215 visitors, with a significant majority (96.2%) coming from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The largest numbers of foreign visitors came from the Philippines (89,047) and Indonesia (43,241), with many being same-day visitors. Other significant contributors to tourist numbers were South Korea (31,877), the United States (21,780) and Thailand (21,598), with a notable portion of these visitors also being day-trippers.

The top 10 list of foreign visitors to Macau also included nationals from Malaysia (20,423), Singapore (18,195), Japan (17,123), India (13,751) and Canada (10,532).

Interestingly, despite historic and cultural ties, only a few Portuguese citizens visited Macau during this period (1,658), with a similarly low number from Brazil (1,580). Additionally, Macau saw a modest number of visitors from Italy (1,848) and the Netherlands (2,049).

From January to October, Macau welcomed 22 million tourists, primarily from the greater China region.

Staff reporter