The winning streak on increasing gaming revenues in Macau continues. According to the Hong Kong-based investment firm CLSA Ltd., gaming revenues for May almost doubled over last year, to about 17 billion patacas ($2.12 billion) from 8.8 billion patacas in 2009. The increase continues massive revenue boosts that began last June.

Macau gambling revenue surged 57 percent in the first quarter to about 41 billion patacas. The increasing revenues match an economic boon in China, where economic growth accelerated to 11.9 percent, the fastest pace in almost three years.

“The strong growth for gaming revenue seems to come from more VIP versus mass-market gambling,” Huei Suen Ng, CLSA gaming analyst, said in a note to clients.

The casino companies that gained the most were those that cater to the VIP market, says Huei, including Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Galaxy Entertainment and Melco Crown.

Market share, however, remained steady. Stanley Ho’s SJM Holdings Ltd. has 32 percent, according to CLSA’s estimates, followed by Sands China Ltd. with about 20 percent and Wynn Macau with 16 percent. Melco Crown had 14 percent, Galaxy had 11 percent and MGM Mirage had 7 percent.

By Roger Gros

Roger Gros is publisher of Casino Connection International, LLC. Global Gaming Business magazine, Casino Connection Atlantic City and Casino Connection Nevada are among the monthly publications Gros publishes. Prior to joining CCI, Gros was president of Inlet Communications, an independent consulting firm. He was vice president of Casino Journal Publishing Group from 1984-2000, and held virtually every editorial title during his tenure. Gros was editor of Casino Journal, the National Gaming Summary and the Atlantic City Insider, and was the founding editor of Casino Player magazine. He was a co-founder of the American Gaming Summit and the Southern Gaming Summit conferences and trade shows. He is the author of the best-selling book, How to Win at Casino Gambling (Carlton Books, 1995), now in its third edition. Gros was named “Businessman of the Year” for 1998 by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce.

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