Key Takeaways

  • Macau casinos generated MOP21.68 billion in October, down 10% from the same month last year.
  • Revenue rose 20.02% from September, but October marked the fifth consecutive year-on-year decline.
  • Golden Week brought 1.143 million visitors to Macau between October 1 and 7.
  • Revenue for the first ten months of 2026 remained 1.6% above the same period in 2025.

Macau’s casinos recorded MOP21.68 billion (around US$2.69 billion) in revenue during October, a 10% drop from the same month last year. The result came during a busy period for the city, with China’s National Day Golden Week holiday bringing more than 1.14 million visitors and the NBA China Games taking place at The Venetian Macao. Revenue was up 20.02% compared with September, when casinos brought in MOP18.06 billion. However, that increase wasn’t enough to match October 2025, when gaming revenue reached MOP24.09 billion. It was also the fifth month in a row that Macau recorded a year-on-year decline in casino revenue. The total for the first ten months is still higher than last year’s figure, although the gap has become smaller.

Macau Casino Revenue Falls For Fifth Consecutive Month

The October figures show that Macau’s casinos are still struggling to match last year’s revenue. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) fell from MOP24.09 billion in October 2025 to MOP21.68 billion this year, according to data released by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. That’s a difference of around MOP2.4 billion. There was an improvement from September, when casinos recorded MOP18.06 billion. October’s 20.02% increase looks better in comparison, but it doesn’t change the year-on-year result. Casinos still brought in less money than they did during the same month last year. The decline follows several weaker months. Macau’s GGR fell 12.1% year on year in June and 8.4% in July. August and September both recorded smaller declines of 1.2%, before October’s figure dropped by 10%. The latest result is the second-largest monthly decline of the year so far, behind June.

Golden Week brought a large number of visitors to Macau between October 1 and 7. The city recorded 1.143 million arrivals during the holiday, with average daily arrivals up 15.5% compared with the same period in 2025. Hotel occupancy averaged 91.3% and reached 97% on October 2. The NBA China Games were another major event during the month, with matches held at The Venetian Macao. These events brought additional activity to the city.

Also Read: UK Gambling Industry Warns of Closures and Black Market Growth After MGD Tax Hike

Macau’s Year-to-Date Gaming Revenue Remains Above 2025

October’s decline hasn’t moved Macau’s overall gaming revenue below last year’s level. Casinos generated MOP208.79 billion (around US$25.89 billion) between January and October 2026, up 1.6% from the MOP205.43 billion recorded during the same period in 2025. In September when the year-to-date figure was 3.2% higher than the previous year. October’s weaker result brought that difference down to 1.6%. So the market is still ahead, but the gap is getting smaller. The third quarter had already been a difficult period for casino operators. Macau recorded GGR of around MOP60.4 billion between July and September, down 3.7% year on year and 1.3% from the previous quarter. Softer premium mass-market revenue was one of the main reasons for the decline.

Macau’s government has set a full-year GGR target of MOP236 billion for 2026. With MOP208.79 billion recorded through October, casinos would need another MOP27.21 billion across November and December to reach that figure. The final two months will show whether the market can make up some of the ground lost during the recent run of declines. October has left Macau with a mixed result. Casinos earned more than they did in September, and the year-to-date total is still ahead of 2025. But the latest decline shows that higher visitor numbers haven’t been enough to bring monthly casino revenue back to last year’s level.