Macau GGR rebounds 450% in August
August’s GGR was up 450 per cent month-on-month after bottoming out in July due to the latest outbreak of Covid-19 cases.
Macau.- Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau has reported that gross gaming revenue (GGR) was up 450 per cent in August, from MOP398m (US$49.2m) to MOP2.19bn (US$270.8m). However, the figure was down 50.7 per cent when compared to August 2021.
Tourism numbers also improved sequentially after July, which had been affected by a 12-day casino closure. July saw Macau’s worst outbreak of Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, leading to the lowest GGR figure since records began in 2003.
Macau’s GGR for the first eight months of 2022 combined stands at MOP28.86bn (US$3.58bn), down 53.4 per cent year-on-year.
Authorities have announced that from today (September 1), people from 41 countries will be allowed to enter the city without prior authorisation. The list includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, and the United States. Until now only people coming from Portugal and mainland china have been able to visit as tourists.
Visitors will still need to complete a seven-day quarantine in a designated hotel before entering the community. They must test negative for Covid-19 on arrival to be eligible for quarantine, otherwise, they will be placed in a medical facility.
After the quarantine period ends, visitors must conduct “self-management” of their health for three days and watch for Covid-19-like symptoms. Nationals from non-listed countries or regions may enter if they meet certain requirements, such as being relatives of Macau residents or holding a work permit. They must apply to the Macau authorities for an entry exemption.
Entry requirements for travellers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan will also be eased. Such visitors will be allowed to enter Macau even if they visited other countries or regions immediately before their entry.
