Macau casinos the last place VIP gamblers wanted to be in Q2

Macau casinos were the last place VIP gamblers wanted to be during the second quarter of 2020, according to the latest government statistics.

Figures released Thursday by Macau’s Gaming Inspection & Coordination Bureau (DICJ) show local casino operators generated gaming revenue of just MOP3.23b (US$404.9m), down 95.6% from the same period last year, a comparative golden age that had yet to hear of something called COVID-19.

On a year-to-date basis, total gaming revenue (including lottery, sports and race betting) totaled just under MOP40b, down from MOP150b in the first six months of 2019.

VIP baccarat revenue totaled a mere MOP1.5b in Q1, also down 95.6% year-on-year. Mass market baccarat fell 96.4% to just over MOP1b. Both verticals were also shadows of their Q1 2020 selves, a period that featured around five weeks of pre-COVID activity.