Macau casinos still ruled by mass but VIP baccarat makes Q1 gains

Macau casinos may have welcomed far fewer visitors in the first quarter of 2020 but mass market gaming revenue still managed to outpace its flashier VIP cousin.

Figures released Thursday by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) show market-wide gaming revenue of just MOP30.6b (US$3.84b) in the three months ending March 31. That’s a 60% reduction from the same period last year and nearly as great a reduction from the final quarter of 2019.

VIP baccarat revenue totaled MOP14.8b, down from MOP32.3b in Q419, while mass market baccarat revenue fell to MOP12.15b from MOP30.7b. VIP baccarat’s share of the overall Q1 pie was 48.3%, up from 44.8% in Q419, but other mass market gaming options kept VIP from regaining the overall revenue crown.

Mass market gaming has now eclipsed VIP baccarat for five consecutive quarters, despite the dramatic drop-off in Q1 visitation sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Macau’s casinos were forced to close for 15 days in February and the market’s recovery has been painfully slow, to say the least.