Macau, China, Aug. 1, 2025 (Lusa) - Gambling revenue in Macau rose 19% year-on-year and 5% month-on-month in July, reaching the highest figure for the year and also since January 2020, according to data released on Friday.
Casinos collected 22.125 billion patacas (about €2.4 billion) in July, compared to 18.595 billion patacas (about €2.01 billion) in the same month of 2024, according to data from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ).
In June this year, casinos recorded revenues of 21.064 billion patacas (about €2.3 billion), with May being the highest month of 2025 so far: 21.193 billion patacas (€2.29 billion).
July is also the best month since January 2020, when casino revenues reached a very similar figure: 22.126 billion patacas (€2.39 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 revenues from this industry financing the overwhelming majority of the government budget.
In terms of accumulated gross revenue, the first seven months of this year saw a 6.5% increase over the previous year, with a total of 140.896 billion patacas (about €15.25 billion) compared to 132.348 billion patacas (about €14.32 billion) between 1 January and 31 July 2024.
Macau closed last year with total revenues of 226.782 billion patacas (about €24.54 billion), 23.9% more than the previous year (183.059 billion patacas or about €19.8 billion).
In its initial budget for 2025, the Macau government predicted that the year would close with total revenues of 240 billion patacas (€27.9 billion), representing an increase of 6% compared to last year.
However, on 11 June, the territory’s parliament approved a new budget proposed by the government, which revises the forecast for public revenue downwards by 4.56 billion patacas (€493.4 million).
The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Anton Tai Kin Ip, acknowledged to MPs that the cut was because gross gaming revenue in the first quarter of 2025 was “slightly below forecast”.
The world’s gambling capital, 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, and they renewed their concession contract for the next ten years in December 2023; the new terms came into force on 1 January 2024.
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