Macau’s casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) continues to show signs of recovery in July despite posting its 26th consecutive month of decline.
Statistics from Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau shows that gambling revenue in the former Portuguese enclave dropped 4.5 percent to 17.8 billion patacas ($2.2 billion) last month as wealthy rollers from mainland China continue to avoid the world’s biggest casino hub amid a protracted anti-corruption campaign by Beijing.
Taking on the positive, the July GGR data is an improvement from the MOP15.88 billion (US$1.99 billion) GGR in June, which is considered the lowest monthly tally of China’s premier gaming hub since September 2010, when the aggregate for such revenue was MOP15.30 billion (US$ 1.91 billion).
Macau’s July GGR was within market analysts’ expectations that predicted a 4 to 8 percent drop.
Despite the good news, Macau stocks were mixed in Hong Kong trading, with Sands China up 2.3 percent while Wynn Macau fell 2.2 percent.
The Chinese Special Administrative Region, which has been highly dependent on gambling, is now trying to rebrand itself as a “world center for tourism and leisure” and is now targeting to raise the proportion of casinos’ non-gaming revenue to 9 percent by 2020 from 6.6 percent in 2014.
To give a boost to Macau’s mass-market segment, Wynn Macau Ltd.’s Wynn Palace is set to open its doors to the public this month while Sands China Ltd.’s Parisian casino will start its operations on September.
Recently, Macau Chief Executive Fernando Chui has made a bold prediction that former Portuguese enclave’s economy will rebound to growth in 2017 after a 25-month long gaming revenue drop, as its casino industry diversifies into mass market.
Macau labor group wants abusive gamblers banned
In other Macau casino news, a Macau gaming labor group has called on the government and casino operators to ban rowdy gamblers that have been causing ruckus in the gaming establishments.
GGRAsia reported that the Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff’s Association has prodded gambling stakeholders to blacklist the abusive gamblers in order to protect the casino employees, particularly the dealers, from confrontational situation.
The group’s director general, Choi Kam Fu, said the association has received at least six reports from dealers – in the past three months – who have been targets of aggressive customers. The labour group is affiliated with the influential Macau Federation of Trade Unions.
“Some [dealers] complained that the gambler threw cards at their faces; other reports of having been spit on, or even got slapped in the face,” Choi said, according to the news agency.
