The figure, released by the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, is, however, a 47% decline from July 2021. Moreover, the figure is the lowest GGR of the entire year, and the lowest since September 2020, when revenue reached just MOP$2.21bn.
This was largely due to an outbreak of Covid-19 across parts of mainland China that resulted in limited travel and the temporary tightening of border restrictions.
A total of 17 provinces in China detected positive Covid-19 cases from late July, while Macau also reported negative cases, the region’s first in over a year. Such cases led to border restrictions tightening and the validity period of all negative tests for arrivals reduced from seven days to 48 hours. The majority of the restrictions have since been lifted.
Macau’s total GGR for the first eight months of 2021 now stands at MOP$61.91bn, which is a 70% increase from the first eight months of 2020.
After showing year-on-year declines from January to March, GGR has shown positive year-on-year changes since, with August’s 70% increase the highest change so far this year.
