Macau’s gaming operators recorded gross gaming revenue of MOP$23.58 billion in April, down 8.3% year-on-year according to figures from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
The April numbers, which were also 8.7% lower than March’s total, represent the third time in four months GGR has fallen compared to the same period in 2018.
For the first four months of 2019, Macau GGR is down 2.4% year-on-year to MOP$99.73 billion.
Bernstein analysts Vitaly Umansky, Eunice Lee and Kelsey Zhu estimated the decline was due to a fall in VIP GGR of around 20% year-on-year, with mass GGR up by low single digits,
“VIP GGR may have been the lowest since early 2017,” they said, but added, “It is possible April has been the low point of the growth deceleration in Macau.”