Can Macau Top the 50 Billion Mark? Early Numbers Show That 2014 Casino Revenue Will be Larger Than Ever

As if 2013 wasn’t impressive enough, casino capital of the world Macau is determined to make jaws drop with an even more lucrative 2014.

Last year the Chinese special administrative zone of Macau cemented its status as the world leader in casino gambling by pulling in an astonishing $45 billion in revenue. That absolutely dwarfed the $6.2 billion earned by Las Vegas, the former casino capital of the world.

While it’s usually difficult to improve on an already immense success, Macau casinos seem to be doing just that in 2014. Total revenue in the month of May came in at $4.05 billion, up 9.3 percent from the $3.7 billion it earned in the same month last year.

The most astounding thing is that this impressive increase is actually smaller than the 13-15 percent spike forecasted by most gambling news services. The city’s year-to-date revenue of $20.8 billion is a full 15.8 percent better than what it pulled in last year.

Asian market still has potential for growth

Given the impressive increase, many are predicting that total revenue could top the vaunted $50 billion mark this year. What is driving growth? Chinese gambling laws still prohibit gambling on the mainland, and every day there are more Chinese able to afford a gambling weekend in Macau. The city is also a prime destination for high rollers from across the Asia-Pacific region.