Gambling in Macau, which was legalized in the 1850s, makes up a large portion of the region’s economy. Revenue from gaming and gambling there exceeded 29 billion U.S. Dollars in 2019.

(Bloomberg) -- Macau casinos suffered their worst month ever as travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic left the world’s biggest gambling hub struggling with few players and a heavy daily burn of cash.

Gross gaming revenue plummeted 97% to 754 million patacas ($95 million) in April from a year earlier, according to data from the Gaming Inspection & Coordination Bureau. That’s the biggest drop on record, surpassing an 88% plunge in February. Analysts were looking for a decline of 94%.

The situation for casino operators in Macau has continued to deteriorate even after they reopened their doors following a 15-day shutdown in February aimed at curbing the contagion. While operations have restarted, baccarat and roulette tables remain nearly empty, and casinos are each losing more than $1 million a day.

The outbreak has been largely contained in Macau as well as in neighboring Hong Kong and mainland China, but restrictions on travel make it almost impossible for tourists and high rollers to show up to place their bets.

New Casinos In Macau

Data from the DSIJ show that since April the gaming revenues fall every month around 90 percent. Gross gaming and gambling revenues at Macau casinos in December recorded the biggest on-year contraction in 2019, with a drop of 13.7 percent to MOP 22.838 billion (US$2.854 billion), the Macau News reports. . Casino shares fall 32 pct to 51 pct in 2014 (Adds more graphics) HONG KONG, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Gambling revenue in Macau, the world's biggest gaming hub, fell last year for the first time since.

Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd. this week highlighted the unprecedented damage the coronavirus is having on the $36 billion industry, culling its senior ranks while other executives take a pay cut. Chairman Lawrence Ho, who will forgo his salary for the remainder of this year, wrote in an internal memo that the number of customers since re-opening has been “virtually zero.”

Melco earlier this year pulled the plug on its plans to buy a stake in Crown Resorts Ltd., citing the impact of the coronavirus on Asian tourism. MGM Resorts International on Thursday reported that its Macau unit’s first-quarter net revenue dropped 63% amid the “unprecedented crisis.”

Despite the damage to the industry, analysts expect travel limits to begin loosening beginning this month. Bill Hornbuckle, MGM’s acting chief executive officer, said in an earnings call Thursday that Macau casinos should recover early this summer.

Investors have also remained optimistic, with the Bloomberg Intelligence index of Macau operators rallying 21% last month after reaching a nearly four-year low in March.

Casinos are also likely to endure the daily drain of cash. JPMorgan Chase & Co. analyst DS Kim wrote in early April that all the casino operators “have ample liquidity to survive this unprecedented period of ‘near-zero revenue’ for over a year.” Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd., with $6.8 billion in liquidity at the end of 2019, has enough cash to last more than six years, he wrote.

The gaming results for April represent the seventh straight month of declining revenue, coming after Macau had already been battered by a two-year-long trade war and months of Hong Kong protests.

For casinos to recover, they need to see the return of the Chinese visitors who power the territory’s gambling industry. Mainlanders are the largest source of VIP and mass gamblers for Macau, and they have been virtually shut out as China continues its freeze on individual and group visas as part of virus-containment measures.

Access to Macau has been further hobbled by a 14-day quarantine rule started by China’s Guangdong province in late March.

The situation should improve as Macau hasn’t found any new coronavirus cases for more than 20 days. Rob Goldstein, president of Las Vegas Sands Corp., said China should begin lifting limits on travel from the mainland to Macau this month.

Macau will ask the Chinese government to resume tourist visas to the city and increase the number of places that travelers can apply for individual visas “at an appropriate time,” Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said at annual policy address on April 20.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

Macau casinos closed out 2019 with its third straight month of revenue decline and its worst year-over-year drop since 2015.

According to statistics released by the region’s Gaming Inspection & Coordination Bureau, Macau gambling operators generated $2.85 billion in gaming revenue, which represents a 13.7 percent drop from December 2018.

The drop is even steeper than the staggering 8.5 percent drop casinos experienced in November.

December’s figures brought the annual revenue to $36.47 billion, which was down 3.4 percent from 2018.

Despite the massive drop, it was still slightly better than expected. According to Bloomberg,most analysts were anticipating a 15 percent revenue decline. The financial media outlet also cited the region’s inability to lure the high rollers it became accustomed to thanks to an economic slowdown in China and geopolitical tensions in the area.

As was the case with most of the year, the looming trade war with the United States coupled with escalating protests in Hong Kong dampened casino profits.

President Xi Jinping’s arrival in Macau furthered those declines. With Jinping in the city to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the former Portuguese colony becoming part of China, visa policies were tightened as were travel restrictions, and there was more stringent border security.

Xi urged Macau to “diversify its economy” during his visit to the city, but with improved infrastructure coming in 2020, some believe that the new year should bring a rebound to the industry.

List Of Casinos In Macau

This was the eighth time in 2019 that Macau saw year-over-year declines in monthly revenue reports.

Macau Casino Stocks