The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) has reported that Macau's February gross gaming revenue (GGR) dropped 9% month-on-month to MOP7.31bn ($914.5m).
Revenue did, however, see a 136% year-on-year increase compared to MOP3.1bn for February 2020, when casinos were closed for 15 days due to the start of the pandemic.
February 2021 GGR was still 71% lower than pre-pandemic levels, with MOP25.37bn recorded in February 2019.
The drop in figures can be attributed to the slow build-up of visitors during the Chinese New Year.
While Macau has a travel bubble with Mainland China, citizens were encouraged not to travel much during the holiday as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.
In turn, tourism during the holiday that started on 12 February was not as strong as casino operators expected, with visitations dropping by 65%, but the figures eventually picked up during the last week of Chinese New Year.
Currently, Macau has declared all Mainland Chinese cities to be considered low-risk, meaning visitors will no longer have to complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine when entering Macau.
