Gross gaming revenue in Macau experienced a significant decline in January 2021, reaching MOP8.02bn ($1.0bn/€826.0m/£729.0m). This marks a decrease of 63.7% compared to the same month in the previous year. The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including travel restrictions and temporary casino closures, continues to affect Macau’s tourism industry and gaming sector. This is the twelfth consecutive month with a year-on-year decrease of over 50%.
Macau’s “gaming and junket” segment also witnessed a decline in employment, with a drop of over 12% since the beginning of 2020. The employment figure for the October-to-December period was 76,300, down by 11,200 compared to the first quarter of the year.
In 2020, the gross gambling revenue in Macau decreased by 79.3% year-on-year, amounting to MOP60.44bn (£5.55bn/€6.15bn/$7.57bn) for the whole year. This significant decline can be attributed to the impact of the pandemic, including the temporary closure of casinos and travel restrictions. However, towards the end of 2020, as certain measures were eased, Macau experienced some improvement in its gaming industry. In December, the gross gaming revenue reached MOP7.82bn, the second highest monthly total of the year, although it was 65.8% lower than the previous year’s figure of MOP22.84bn.
The pandemic also had a negative impact on major operators in Macau. MGM Resorts International saw a decline of 93.6% in revenue from properties in Macau, reaching $46.9m in the third quarter. Similarly, Las Vegas Sands experienced an 80.7% decline in revenue, amounting to $1.71bn for the entire year. These figures reflect the challenges faced by the casino industry in Macau due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
