Macao’s casino sector will face headwinds from the US tariffs, with a reduced gross gaming revenue (GGR) being one likely outcome. That’s according to two local experts who spoke with Chinese-language gaming website Allin Media.
The news site quoted the chair of the Macau Professional Association of Gaming Promoters, U Io Hong, as saying that the US tariffs would impact Macao’s gambling-depedent economy by reducing the spending of mainland punters, who account for the vast majority of clientele in the city’s casinos.
U predicted the GGR for the upcoming Labour Day holiday between 1 and 5 May would be lower than the year before, although the number of tourists might not necessarily drop.
[See more: Three macroeconomic indicators worth monitoring in the current tariff climate]
Henry Lei, the deputy head of the Macau Economic Association, also said that visitor spending could drop in comparison to the past. He explained that the strengthening of the pataca against the yuan would lower the competitiveness of Macao tourism services, and would also reduce the desire of mainland visitors to spend due to the relative appreciation in the price of products in Macao.
As for the 2025 cumulative GGR, both observers believed that the SAR government may not be able to meet its initial target of 240 billion patacas in light of the trade war, the retaliatory measures taken by China and the GGR trajectory from the first quarter.
Instead, U expects the annual GGR to hit roughly 220 billion patacas, pointing out that if the trade war continues, the GGR will certainly fall.
