Macau’s casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) grew by 3.3 percent month-on-month, to MOP17.2 billion ($2.1 billion) in August, the highest monthly volume this year according to data released by the city’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ).
The result is also the highest result reported in the past 43 consecutive months, or since January 2020.
The August GGR tally was up 685 percent year-on-year. The extreme increase was due to the low basis in August 2022, when the city was still reeling from a previous pandemic-related lockdown.
Macau’s casino GGR stood at MOP114 billion ($14.1 billion) for the first eight months of the year, an increase of 295 percent from a year earlier. The tally represents only 39 percent of MOP292.4 billion ($36.1 billion) generated in GGR during 2019.
In the city’s Chief Executive 2023 policy address last November, the Macau government estimated 2023 gross gaming revenue at MOP130 billion ($16.25 billion).
Although Macau’s tourism recovery continues, the government has maintained its budget estimate.
Members from the Centre for Macau Studies under the University of Macau recently predicted the SAR gaming revenue for the whole year is likely to reach a range of MOP180 billion ($22.2 billion) to MOP190 billion ($23.5 billion).
