Typhoon blamed for significant drop in Macau casino revenue figures in September

Article by : Charles Perrin Oct 4, 2023

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Macau’s casino industry has been left reeling by the latest set of financial figures that have been published.

The Chinese region, at the vanguard of casino gambling, saw revenues plummet by 13% compared to the previous month to $ 1.86 billion, according to the latest results released by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ).

To a certain extent, the sudden drop-off will have come as a surprise, given the city enjoyed its best post-COVID return in August.

However, Typhoon Saola, which left a trail of destruction on September 1, caused 120mph winds to sweep through the Chinese mainland from the Philippines Sea.

Macau casinos, as were the government, were braced for the effects, and the latter had carefully planned measures to protect citizens.

Nevertheless, casinos across the region were closed for roughly nine hours due to the typhoon, which, in turn, impacted operations.

That said, GGR (gross gaming revenue) figures soared by a whopping 404% compared to September last year when pandemic restrictions constrained China.

More intriguingly, the first nine months of 2023 showed that Macau registered revenues of $16.1bn, which was just shy of the $16.25bn figure set by the government.

Chinese residents are enjoying a public holiday (Golden Week), and industry experts are supposedly convinced Macau casinos will rebound strongly in October.

Indeed, Luis Heredia, President of the Macau Hotel Association, echoed such thoughts.

He said: “We are very optimistic, hoping that all conditions are favourable for travel and the hotels are ready to welcome tourists and provide quality services.”

Although September’s GGR figures may make for disappointing reading, Macau is one of the wealthiest gaming markets across the world.

Seasonal factors, such as a typhoon, may have pierced the casino industry, but casinos should not be overly concerned. Ultimately, the gambling industry will come through the other side stronger.