Summary: Macau casinos, particularly those in the Cotai district, experienced a significant surge in visitor traffic and gaming activity during the Labour Day Golden Week. High-denomination baccarat tables, specifically those with a HKD2,000 (US$258) minimum bet, proved extremely popular, indicating a strong preference among players for this betting level. The influx of visitors from mainland China and Hong Kong contributed to the overall increase in casino revenue.
Macau’s casinos experienced a notable increase in visitor traffic and gaming activity on Friday, May 2nd, the second day of the five-day Labour Day holiday in mainland China. GGRAsia’s on-the-ground observations revealed that casinos in the Cotai district were particularly bustling, with significant player interest in mass-market baccarat tables featuring a HKD2,000 (US$258) minimum bet. This preference for higher-denomination baccarat tables was a key trend observed across multiple properties.
According to preliminary data released by Macau’s Public Security Police, the city welcomed 176,921 visitors on Thursday, May 1st, the first day of the holiday. This number further increased to 193,241 visitors by 5 pm on Friday. The influx of visitors underscores the significance of the Labour Day holiday period, often referred to as “May Golden Week,” as a crucial driver of tourism and revenue for Macau’s gaming industry. This year’s holiday spanned May 1st to May 5th, inclusive, encompassing public holidays in both mainland China and Hong Kong, Macau’s two primary visitor markets.
GGRAsia conducted firsthand observations of mass-market gaming floors across various prominent Macau casinos, both in the downtown peninsula and the Cotai district. While downtown properties displayed moderate traffic with lower-denomination tables predominantly in use, Cotai casinos exhibited significantly higher activity. A detailed breakdown of observations follows:
Downtown Macau Observations:
Casinos in the downtown area showed moderate player activity. At Grand Lisboa, baccarat tables ranged from HKD1,000 to HKD3,000, with HKD1,000 and HKD1,500 tables seeing the most players. Similar trends were noted at Wynn Macau and MGM Macau, where HKD1,000 minimum bet tables proved most popular. StarWorld Hotel also exhibited a preference for HKD1,000 baccarat tables, although lower denomination options (HKD500) also saw moderate player engagement. High-limit areas across all these properties showed considerably less activity.
Robust Traffic at Cotai Properties:
In stark contrast to the downtown area, Cotai casinos displayed significantly higher levels of activity. Galaxy Macau saw substantial player engagement across its mass-market baccarat tables, with HKD1,000 and HKD2,000 tables being particularly popular. The Pavilion high-limit area showed notable activity at HKD3,000 tables. The Venetian Macao also reported high occupancy at its HKD1,000 and HKD2,000 baccarat tables, with an area featuring HKD500 and HKD800 tables completely full during GGRAsia’s visit. Similar trends were observed at the Londoner Macao, where HKD2,000 baccarat tables were most heavily utilized, and at City of Dreams, with HKD1,500 and HKD2,000 tables attracting the most players. MGM Cotai and Wynn Palace also reported strong performance across their mass-market baccarat tables, with HKD1,000 to HKD2,000 minimum bets proving most popular. While high-limit areas in these casinos saw some activity, the volume was significantly lower than at the mass-market tables. Grand Lisboa Palace on Cotai also saw HKD1,000 baccarat tables as the most popular choice.
The overall observation suggests a strong preference for HKD2,000 (US$258) baccarat tables in Cotai during the Labour Day Golden Week, highlighting the importance of this betting denomination within Macau’s gaming landscape.
