Macau Gaming Market Slowdown in June Driven by World Cup 

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Revenue was down 12.1% year-on-year

Key Takeaways:

  • GGR dropped 12.1% year-on-year in June amid FIFA World Cup impact
  • Holiday traffic boosted June figures but overall recovery remains below 2019 levels
  • Experts anticipate continued softness with ongoing sports event distractions

Macau’s gaming market cooled in June as the FIFA World Cup and a tougher year-ago comparison weighed on demand, according to AGBrief. 

Gross gaming revenue reached MOP18.52 billion, down 12.1% from a year earlier and 18.1% from May, when the market benefited from Labor Day holiday traffic.

World Cup Drag

Analysts had been warning that the expanded 104-match tournament could divert discretionary spending from casino floors to sports betting. 

Citigroup estimated that Macau’s revenue pace slowed sharply in the first half of June, per Yogonet. UBS said however that early-month performance was “solid” but expected only a “mild” year-on-year decline for June and July.

Macau still drew more than 380,000 visitors during the Dragon Boat Festival break from June 19 to 21, helped by public holidays across Macau, Hong Kong and mainland China, police data showed. 

Macau continues to crackdown on illegal gambling, as authorities detained a 43-year-old mainland Chinese man accused of livestreaming baccarat tables from a downtown casino to gamblers in mainland Chin