written and last updated by
Sam Smith at
09 Jul 2024
Journalist, Editorial Department
The coronavirus pandemic and the associated restrictions have significantly impacted the gambling preferences and activities of residents in mainland China. This was confirmed by a recent study conducted by the Macau Polytechnic University (MPU), led by Dr. Jinqiuan Zhou and his colleagues.
The researchers found a notable shift from land-based gambling in Macau to the iGaming sector during the pandemic. In their study, MPU surveyed 334 players and discovered that 52.4% of respondents engaged with online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions imposed on Macau.
The statistics regarding the transition to iGaming varied across different socio-demographic groups. For instance, 77.7% of online casino visitors were male. The study also revealed that individuals with higher education were more likely to gamble on online platforms compared to those with only a high school education.
The researchers noted that players under the age of 35 were more prevalent during the pandemic than casino visitors aged 36 and older. This indicates that younger individuals are better adapted to the changing gambling environment. Additionally, Chinese residents aged 26 to 35 spent more on gambling activities and exhibited higher engagement levels than their older counterparts.
Among the respondents, a significant number reported gaming sessions that lasted more than two days in total. The researchers interpreted this as a sign that iGaming fulfilled users' socialization needs during the pandemic.
Respondents who continued to visit Macau during the coronavirus-related restrictions indicated that their gambling budgets remained unchanged. Interestingly, married individuals spent more money in land-based casinos than those who were single.
Notably, 85% of Macau casino visitors expressed their intention to either maintain or increase their gambling budgets.
