Macau's shift to a non-gaming focus has operators on a balance beam, trying to weigh increased visitation with financial return. Experts tell AGB that diversification is a solid goal for any gaming jurisdiction, but that gross gaming revenue is still key, even as a younger demographic tends to be more predominant.

The non-gaming investment requirements for Macau gaming concessionaires are already reshaping the Special Administrative Region, according to industry experts interviewed by AGB.

Concerts are likely to be the main driver of non-gaming spend within Macau, notes a scholar, as operators aim to get the maximum bang for the buck when hosting large-scale events in the SAR.

Six gaming operators in Macau were invited to present their non-gaming investments for 2024 to government officials during a Council for Tourism Development meeting.

To follow its commitment to non-gaming betting, Macau gaming operator MGM China officially launched its new amenity - a sightseeing cruise on Tuesday.

Macau authorities have effectively said to operators, by launching a new statistical evaluation mechanism for their non-gaming efforts. A scholar notes that the move could be beneficial in the long term, but doubts remain as to whether diversification demands can meet expectations.

The government's objective of creating a new statistical category is to track and push gaming operators to fulfill non-gaming commitments, notes a scholar from the Macao Polytechnic University.

The number of commercial flights to Macau in June went up by some 525 percent yearly, topping 3,281, while those in the first half-year rose by 184.6 percent yearly, to 15,617, however official data show that foreign visitors to the SAR are still at just 30 percent of 2019 levels.

Macau's diversification plans have suffered yet another delay, as a source says that the plans submitted by the gaming hub's concessionaires have failed to meet their expectations.

he show(s) must go on. So says gaming scholar Davis Fong, who notes that the attraction of big names to the stage has helped drive Macau's non-gaming push so far.