VIP Baccarat in Macau sees GGR jump

According to the DICJ, Baccarat GGR in the VIP Macau market in 2019 improved despite losing market share to the mass market.

Macau.- Games of chance are the most popular games in Macau. That’s why VIP baccarat has posted an increase in GGR despite losing market share to the mass market.

VIP baccarat in Macau offered double the revenue of mass-market baccarat than it did five years ago. According to the DICJ, values reached €24 billion and €12 billion, respectively.

Tourism tax

Macau gets most of its tax revenue from the gaming industry and wants to take a little more. The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) had suggested a new tourism tax and had to review it.

The office conducted a feasibility study to consider that possibility and had an overwhelming result. After 149k questionnaires to residents and members of the tourism industry, 95% of residents supported it and 80% of the segment rejected it.

Therefore, Macau would set the new tourism tax at €11-22.5 per head and would have just a slight impact on visitor flows.

2020 forecasts

Most analysts have already predicted a slow start for the industry, but not everything is lost. According to brokerage Sanford C Bernstein, the Macau casino segment will have an improved 2020.

The firm says GGR may grow by 8%, thanks to 6% and 9% growths in the VIP and mass segments.