The last time Macau’s casino operators completed a fifth of their concession licenses was in 2005. Back then, the city’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached $6 billion, about half of what was played out across Nevada’s slot machines and card tables. But as Asia’s gaming hub matured, Macau quickly overshadowed its US counterpart, topping $37 billion by 2019, quadrupling Nevada's figures.
With Macau’s casino operators approaching the same point in their current concession, they once again are looking to Las Vegas and hoping to emulate Sin City’s transformation away from its gambling identity and into one featuring world-class integrated resorts known for tourism and leisure. So far, arrival numbers appear promising.
Almost nine million tourists have entered Macau in the first quarter of 2024, up 79% from a year earlier. Officials are targeting 33 million visitors for the year, representing just below what neighboring Hong Kong achieved in 2023.
