Another month, another revenue record for Macau

By Macau’s lofty standards, gross gaming revenue growth has been pretty sluggish for most of 2013. The last record month was way back in March 2013 and from then until September, things have been pretty stagnant.

Still, stagnant for Macau is double digit increases on previous years corresponding months. Not the same kind of stagnant that may be used to describe the state of play in Atlantic City or Las Vegas.

All this changed in October, when a fuse was seemingly lit under China’s casino players and the March record was  blown out of the water. The new number is now 36.5 billion Macau Pataca (MOP) or around $US 4.5 billion.

Monthly Gross Revenue from Games of Fortune in 2013 and 2012 (Unit:MOP million )
(source: Macau Gaming Inspection)

When numbers get this big is easy to lose perspective so here’s some perspective (and food for thought). It is possible that in 2014 we will reach a point where more revenue is generated in a given month in Macau’s casinos, than is made for the entire year on the Las Vegas Strip. Macau’s October 2013 result is already 75% of the Strip’s entire 2012 ($6.2 billion). Another year on year variance in the +30% range against little or no growth in Vegas and it’s done.

Quite staggering really.