Revenue of Macau’s gaming business fell more in May than analysts had estimated. The main reason for this are tighter rules affecting gamblers. Revenue fell 9.6% in May compared with a 9.5% drop in April.
The gaming revenue in May amount 18.4 billion patacas (roughly $2.3 billion), which means there is a decline for two full years now, according to Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
Macau has been struggling for two years as China’s economy slowed and President Xi Jinping’s corruption crackdown caused high-stakes gamblers to avoid the world’s largest gaming hub. Operators in the city, the only place in China where casinos are legal, have responded by shifting focus to tourists and recreational gamblers, with Wynn Macau Ltd. and Sands China Ltd. due to open new resorts later this year.