Macau Enjoys Increased Gaming Revenues at the End of 2013

Figures listed by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) show revenue growth in mass market casino gaming, VIP market and ETGs.

The former Portuguese colony and the Chinese Special Independent Region of Macau might be one of China’s only jurisdictions that permits gambling, but it certainly gives back to the local economy via Macau poker rooms and casinos.

The report showed that mass market casino gaming accounted for 27% of the region’s gross gaming revenue in the fourth quarter of 2013, along with a mass market growth of 40% and mass revenue increase of 35%.

Macau’s VIP market also ended the year on a strong note, with revenue increases of 15% seen in the last quarter.

Numbers are up in Macau’s gambling sector

This continued strength of the VIP market is a pleasant surprise for forecasters, who showed a great deal of pessimism at the beginning of 2013, when many operators were expecting a crackdown on junket operators, which never took place.

But, the DICJ don’t often count the revenue from the electronic table games (ETG) the same way, especially hybrid cases with live dealers and electronic bets. ETG revenue is believed to be up 66% over 2012. However, hybrid games are often categorized as live dealer table games.

Hybrid games are a positive direction for operators to move in, since Macau gambling laws cap the number of gaming tables for each operator, but this new model allows them to serve more gamblers without breaching the law.