Mass market baccarat ended 2016 with an increase in gross revenue while the mainstay of Macau casinos, VIP baccarat, saw a year on year decline, according to figures released by the region’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ).
Macau’s casinos focus on two big games of chance: VIP baccarat and mass market baccarat, which are followed, far behind in terms of revenue by “cussec,” a Chinese game played with three dice, and slot machines.
Data from the DICJ showed that while VIP baccarat continued in 2016 to be the main game in Macau casinos, gross revenues of 118.960 billion patacas (US$14.870 billion) showed a drop of 6.93% compared to 2015, when it reached 127.818 billion patacas.
Gross revenues from mass market baccarat, on the other hand, rose, albeit marginally, from 0.9% to 76.903 billion patacas (US$9.612 billion), compared with 76.212 billion patacas in 2015.
In descending order slot machines came in third place, with gross income of 11.384 billion patacas, a year on year drop of 3.14% and in fourth place was “cussec” whose revenues of 6.626 billion patacas rose by 4.4% year on year.
In 2016 the two types of baccarat, VIP and mass market, accounted for over 87% of total gaming and gambling revenues, which reached 223.210 billion patacas (US$27.901 billion), falling 3.3% on the figure recorded in 2015.
At the end of 2015 there were 38 casinos in Macau owned by six concession holders, 20 by Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, six by Galaxy Casino, five by Venetian Macau, four by Melco Crown Jogos (Macau), two by Wynn Resorts (Macau) and one by MGM Grand Paradise, which had a total of 6,287 tables and 13,826 slot machines.
Over the next two years there are plans to open three new tourist complexes with casinos on the Cotai landfill area between the islands of Coloane and Taipa.
