Asia

Macau gambling numbers fall short again

Published

7 years ago

July 4, 2018

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Macau’s gambling revenues have fallen below estimates for the second month in a row, sending the stocks of major casino operators like Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Las Vegas Sands Corp. into a tailspin.

Casino gross gaming revenue increased by 12.5 per cent, but it was still short of the projected rise of 18 per cent.

U.S. casino operators have been betting big in recent years on the Chinese gambling enclave amid weakness at home. This past February, MGM Resorts International debuted a $3.4 billion property in Macau to compete with the Wynn Palace and Las Vegas Sands’ Parisian.

But China’s proposal to allow gambling on a nearby island and a crackdown on cash outflows have cast uncertainties over Macau’s future. Meanwhile, spending among VIP players was softer given the mid-month start of the World Cup, said Steven Wieczynski, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

Wynn shares plunged as much as 9.3 per cent to $151.84 in New York. Las Vegas Sands’ 8.2 percent tumble was the biggest in more than 17 months after Bank of America Corp. downgraded the stock to neutral. MGM fell as much as 3.6 per cent.

Source: Bloomberg

Related Topics:

Up Next

Slovakia cracks down illegal gambling

Don't Miss

Australian Senate seeks public opinion on loot boxes

Niji Narayan

Niji Narayan has been in the writing industry for well over a decade or so. He prides himself as one of the few survivors left in the world who have actually mastered the impossible art of copy editing. Niji graduated in Physics and obtained his Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism. He has always interested in sports writing and travel writing. He has written for numerous websites and his in-depth analytical articles top sports magazines like Cricket Today and Sports Today. He reports gaming industry headlines from all around the globe.