Latest data disclosed by Macau's gaming regulatory body shows that gross gaming revenue in March reached 2.2612 billion Macanese patacas, equivalent to approximately 2.0196 billion Hong Kong dollars, marking a 15% year-on-year increase. This actual performance significantly outperformed the market's general forecast of an 11% rise and also represented a 9.5% month-over-month growth compared to February's level of 2.0627 billion Macanese patacas.
Looking at the overall first quarter, cumulative gross gaming revenue from January to March totaled 65.873 billion Macanese patacas, a 14.3% increase year-on-year, with monthly average revenue breaking through the 20 billion Macanese pataca threshold. Both January and March achieved single-month figures touching the high of 22 billion Macanese patacas, demonstrating strong momentum in industry recovery. If the current growth trend persists, annual gaming revenue is expected not only to exceed the government-set budget target but potentially surpass the performance level of the entire previous year.
Referencing the full-year 2025 data, Macau's gross gaming revenue rose by 1.1% year-on-year, totaling 247.4 billion Macanese patacas, with a monthly average income of 20.6 billion Macanese patacas. The government had estimated that revenue could reach 236 billion Macanese patacas in the 2026 fiscal year budget proposal, but based on the actual performance of the first quarter thus far, the final figure is likely to exceed these expectations.
The core driver behind March's performance exceeding expectations primarily stems from large-scale entertainment events attracting visitors and resilient spending by high-end clients. Concerts by K-pop groups effectively boosted passenger flow recovery. Although the number of high-end VIP customers decreased slightly compared to the same period last year, the average betting amount increased by 17%, keeping the overall betting scale roughly flat with last year. Additionally, tourist arrivals in February reached 4.2 million, a 33% year-on-year increase, providing solid support for the continued growth of gaming revenue.
