Macao casinos on a roll as holiday rush adds a spark

A recovery for Macao's casinos gained traction in April, with gross gaming revenue climbing 449.9 percent to hit a three-year high of 14.7 billion patacas (HK$14.3 billion) as Chinese tourists flocked in.

Data from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau yesterday (May 1) showed figures better than a median analysts' estimate of a 393-percent year-on-year increase and the highest monthly takings since January 2020.

But it was still at least a third below the 2019 level.

The accumulated gaming revenue in the first four months of this year, however, has reached 49.4 billion patacas, surging 1.4 times year-on-year and surpassing the full-year figure for 2022.

China's current five-day Labor Day holiday will be a key test of the strength of the tourism boom.