Macau, China, June 1, 2025 (Lusa) - Gambling revenue in Macau rose 12.4% month-on-month and 5% year-on-year in May, reaching its highest level since January 2020, according to data released on Sunday.
Casinos collected 21.193 billion patacas (about €2.31 billion) in May, compared to 20.188 billion patacas (about €2.2 billion) in the same month of 2024, according to data from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ).
In April this year, casinos had recorded revenues of 18.858 billion patacas (about €2.05 billion).
This is the highest figure since January 2020, when casino revenues reached 22.126 billion patacas (€2.41 billion).
Since the end of January 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on gaming, Macau's economic engine, with taxes on gaming revenues financing the overwhelming majority of the government's budget.
In terms of accumulated gross revenue, the first five months of this year saw an increase of 1.7% over the previous year, with a total of 97.707 billion patacas (about €10.66 billion) compared to 96.059 billion patacas (about €10.48 billion) between January and May 2024.
Macau closed last year with total revenues of 226.782 billion patacas (about €24.74 billion), 23.9% more than the previous year (183.059 billion patacas or €19.97 billion).
The Macau Government predicted in its 2025 budget that the year would close with total revenues of 240 billion patacas (approximately €26.18 billion), representing a 6% increase compared to the previous year.
In May, the financial rating agency Fitch anticipated difficulties for Macau's gross gaming revenues to reach this target.
"Monthly gross gaming revenues are still below 20 billion patacas (€2.18 billion). Based on results to date, we see a difficult path for total gross gaming revenues to reach Macau's 2025 targets," the agency said in a statement.
However, in the month under review, which includes the so-called "golden week" of 1 May, one of the peak tourist periods in mainland China, the amount collected exceeded 20 billion patacas, reaching a total of 21.193 billion patacas.
The world's gambling capital, with revenues twice those of Las Vegas, Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.
Six concessionaires operate in the territory: MGM, Galaxy, Venetian, Melco, Wynn and SJM, which renewed their concession contract for the next ten years in December 2023, effective 1 January 2024.
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