Macau's Gambling Revenue Begins Strongly in March

The Macau gaming industry has demonstrated a robust beginning in March as per Citigroup's assessments. The banking institution highlighted that the gross gaming revenue (GGR) has seen a promising start. Analysts George Choi and Timothy Chau disclosed in a Monday note that the GGR for the initial eight days of March is estimated to have reached approximately MOP5.65 billion, equivalent to USD 701.9 million. They elaborated that this figure represents a daily run-rate slightly lower by 4 percent than February 2026's pace of MOP737 million per day. However, it marks an increase of 11 percent compared to March 2025, which recorded a daily GGR of MOP634 million.

Concerts Boost Attendance and Gaming Revenues

The analysts attributed part of the growth to several high-profile events that took place early in March, boosting casino activities. The Macau gaming industry's performance was significantly enhanced by shows hosted by casino operators, which pulled in large crowds.

Events such as concerts by popular acts like the Korean boy band Treasure at the Venetian Arena, Chinese singer-songwriter Wang Sulong, and the Korean girl group Aespa at Galaxy Arena played an instrumental role. These events likely contributed to what Citi analysts described as Macau's 'solid start' in March 2026.

Projections and Market Dynamics in March 2026

Despite the promising start, the Citigroup report added that VIP gaming volumes experienced a slight decline, decreasing by about 2 to 4 percent compared to the previous month, while mass GGR declined by approximately 3 to 5 percent month-on-month. Nevertheless, the analysts noted that the VIP hold rate remained slightly above normal levels.

Citigroup is conservatively maintaining its original March GGR forecast at MOP22.5 billion, a figure reflecting a 14 percent year-on-year growth, assuming an average of about MOP733 million daily for the remainder of March. This prediction aligns with the bank's mid-December outlook, which suggested that factors such as more concerts, additional hotel accommodations, and enhancements in baccarat gameplay could potentially drive a 6 percent increase in GGR for Macau in 2026.

Source: Macau sees solid GGR performance in early march: Citi, GGRAsia, March 9, 2026.

Posted by Wizard
Mar 09 2026