Gross gaming revenue (GGR) in Macao in October totalled 20.8 billion patacas (about US$2.6 billion), according to figures from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (known by its Portuguese initials DICJ). That’s the biggest revenue haul the SAR’s concessionaires have seen since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted at the start of last year (followed by May, with 20.2 billion patacas).
The figure represents a 20.5 percent increase compared to September’s tally of 17.3 billion patacas (US$2.2 billion) and a 6.6 percent increase compared to October in 2023, when the territory’s six concessionaires generated 19.5 billion patacas (US$2.4 billion) between them.
The National Day holiday period, which fell at the start of October, contributed to the month’s boomer revenue intake. Analysts had attributed September’s relatively poor performance to punters deferring their visits to Macao until the Golden Week holiday.
[See more: Tax revenue from gambling in August rises nearly 5 percent]
The SAR’s casinos reportedly generated 1.08 billion patacas (US$134.8 million) in average daily GRR during the initial six days of the National Day holidays. The hefty haul represented a year-on-year surge of 30 percent and marked a five-year high, with the total only slightly less than the comparable 2019 figure of 1.16 billion patacas (US$144.79 million) per day.
Meanwhile, accumulated GGR for the first 10 months of the year stands at 190.1 billion patacas (US$23.7 billion), a 28.1 percent increase on the same period last year.
A conservative estimate by the local government had predicted that full-year GGR for the full year would reach 216 billion patacas (US$26.8 billion). However, more optimistic predictions have suggested that the overall haul could be as high as 239.9 billion patacas (US$29.8 billion).
