Macau´s gross gaming receipts rose 16.1 percent to 21.4 billion patacas (US$2.7 billion) in September, according to data released by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau Sunday.
Casino revenue reached 193 billion patacas in the first nine months of the year, accounting for an 18.8 percent increase.
It’s the 14th consecutive month of year-on-year growth.
The number of tourists this week is expected to increase by as much as 5 percent from about 1.2 million visitors last year, the Macau Tourism Office said.
The bulk of those, about 970,000, were from China.
The number of mainland Chinese visitors to Macau surpassed 2 million in both July and August, according to data from the Macau Government Tourism Office.
During national holidays, Macau and adjoining islands are inundated with swarms of visitors.
Casino executives have said that hotels are fully booked for the official holiday period, which runs from Oct. 1 to Oct. 8.
Macau’s government Thursday release a 15-year plan to boost tourism, with key objectives including rebranding Macau into a multi-day destination and managing local tourism capacity.
The report announced by MGTO expects the number of Macau’s visitor arrivals to reach up to 40 million in 2025.
According to the master plan, visitors’ non-gaming spending (US$6.6 billion last year) is projected to reach US$13 billion to US$14 billion in 2025 based on the modest growth scenario. The number of hotel rooms (37,634 last year) is projected to reach 51,900 in 2025 based on the modest growth scenario.
