written and last updated by
Sam Smith at
17 Jun 2024
Journalist, Editorial Department
The Financial Services Bureau (DSF) has reported a remarkable 78.2% increase in tax revenue from the gambling industry from January to May 2024 compared to the previous year, totaling 37 billion patacas (over 409 billion rubles).
In May alone, the city's treasury received 7.15 billion patacas (79 billion rubles), which was 9.9% lower than April's figure of 7.94 billion patacas (87.8 billion rubles). However, this amount represents a 25.4% increase over the same month last year.
May's tax revenues were calculated based on Macau's gross gaming revenue for April, which, according to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), amounted to 18.55 billion patacas (over 205 billion rubles).
The Macau government forecasts that total tax revenue from the gambling sector for 2024 will reach approximately 83.6 billion patacas (924.5 billion rubles). The amount collected in the first five months accounts for 44.3% of the expected annual total.
Overall city revenue from January to May 2024 stands at 43.6 billion patacas (482.1 billion rubles), marking a 72.3% increase compared to the same period last year. Special taxes levied on gaming operators constituted 84.9% of the city's total revenue.
At the same time, Macau anticipates an increase in annual tourist arrivals to 33 million in 2024, representing a growth of over 17% compared to 2023. Helena de Senna Fernandes, head of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), stated that this increase is well-founded, as new cities in mainland China have been included in the scheme for easier individual travel to Macau and Hong Kong.
Alongside the growing influx of tourists, spending by visitors is also on the rise. In the first quarter of 2024, total expenditures in Macau reached 20.35 billion patacas (approximately 225 billion rubles), nearly 36% higher than the same period in 2023.
Meanwhile, 85% of casino visitors in Macau plan to maintain or increase their gambling budgets.
