Citigroup’s monthly survey of Macau’s premium mass gaming tables has found a 38% year-on-year decline in total wager observed, with the investment bank pointing to the impact of the World Cup and a tough comparison to last year, when volumes were boosted by a series of concerts from Hong Kong superstar Jacky Cheung.
According to analysts George Choi and Timothy Chau, total wager observed fell to a post-pandemic low of HK$9.8 million, down 38% year-on-year. The number of players observed was also down 29% to 448, although average wager per player was down just 13% to HK$21,775.
“We attribute the year-on-year weakness to the ongoing World Cup, which might have diverted away some of the gaming focus of some players,” Citi said in a Monday note.
“On top of that, Galaxy was hosting the first show of Jacky Cheung’s concert when we conducted our table survey in June of last year, and that created a tough comp this month.”
The analysts noted that the total wager observe was at a similar level to that they saw during the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament held two years ago.
They added, “The final whistle of the soccer tournament will blow on 19 July and we remain confident that a swift post-tournament recovery will happen.”
Citi’s “player of the month” was spotted wagering HK$680,000 at City of Dreams Macau, helping lift Melco’s share of total wager observed to 21%, while Galaxy retained top spot with 23% share.
