Macau Losing Streak Continues as GGR Falls 1.2% to $2.71B in August

The forecasted pent-up demand for high-stakes casino gambling that was temporarily put on hold during the World Cup never came, as August marked yet another difficult month for the six casino operators in Macau. Studio City is pictured on the Cotai Strip in China’s Macau. The integrated resort casino is owned and operated by Melco Resorts. (Image: Shutterstock) Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau reports that August gross gaming revenue (GGR) totaled MOP21.89 billion (US$2.71 billion). The mark represented a 1.2% decline from the prior year, though it was 3.7% higher than July. August marked Macau’s third consecutive monthly GGR result in the red after 2026 began with five months that saw higher year-over-year casino revenue. Through eight months, Macau casino revenue totaled a little more than $16.9 billion, which is 3.7% above last year. World Cup Kicks Out VIP Play Macau’s losing streak that began in June was initiated by the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which captivated the mainland and turned gamblers’ attention from baccarat tables to sportsbooks. Though China did not field a team, soccer is among the most popular sports in the country, with an estimated fan base of more than 200 million people. Gaming analysts initially forecasted that Macau would benefit from pent-up demand following the World Cup, but that demand hasn’t yet materialized. While the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau does not break down monthly revenue by game, volume, and hold, making it impossible to determine whether players were simply luckier last month and cut into total GGR, the first full month after the World Cup concluded on July 19 largely underperformed expectations. The World Cup probably had a larger impact relative to prior periods. It’s a little bit hard to give you the exact reason why. We were surprised that the impact probably was more significant this year than it has been in past years,” Evan Winkler, president of Melco Resorts, said on the company’s second quarter earnings call on Aug. 13. “From our standpoint, we definitely did take a hit. I don’t know where they went, but the assumption is that they probably did some level of sports activity,” Winkler said. Observers reported a strong start to August, with Citigroup conveying that the 31 high rollers it monitored were betting an average of MOP251K (US$31,132) per hand of baccarat. But over the month, fewer whales were spotted in the casino hub. September Recovery September will be a key month in determining how Macau bounces back from the effects of the World Cup. September is historically a slow month in Macau, as families wrap their summer vacations and children return to school. Consumer travel pulls back before the Oct. 1-7 Golden Week holiday, which celebrates the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Oct. 1, 1949. The various factors mean Macau typically features fewer special events and entertainment attractions in September. The post Macau Losing Streak Continues as GGR Falls 1.2% to $2.71B in August appeared first on Casino.org.