Asia Pacific Gaming

Macau GGR Extends Slump With 1.2% Drop to $2.71B in August

Posted on: September 1, 2026, 08:21h.

Last updated on: September 1, 2026, 09:45h.

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Devin O'Connor Devin O'Connor is a senior reporter for Casino.org, covering politics, casino business, and gaming news. Devin came on board with Casino.org in 2014...
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Key Points

Macau casino revenue fell 1.2% year over year to $2.71 billion in August, marking three straight monthly declines
Expected post-World Cup gambling demand failed to materialize, with VIP baccarat play reportedly weakening
Macau will look to September and the October Golden Week holiday for a potential recovery

Analysts expected a wave of pent-up demand following the World Cup, but that rebound never arrived—leaving Macau’s six casino operators facing another grim month.

Macau GGR Melco Studio City — Studio City is pictured on the Cotai Strip in China’s Macau. The integrated resort casino is owned and operated by Melco Resorts. (Image: Shutterstock)

Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau reports that August gross gaming revenue (GGR) totaled MOP21.89 billion (US$2.71 billion). The mark represented a 1.2% decline from the prior year, though it was 3.7% higher than July.

August marked Macau’s third consecutive monthly GGR result in the red after 2026 began with five months that saw higher year-over-year casino revenue. Through eight months, Macau casino revenue totaled a little more than $16.9 billion, which is 3.7% above last year.

World Cup Kicks Out VIP Play

Macau’s losing streak that began in June was initiated by the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which captivated the mainland and turned gamblers’ attention from baccarat tables to sportsbooks. Though China did not field a team, soccer is among the most popular sports in the country, with an estimated fan base of more than 200 million people.

Gaming analysts initially forecasted that Macau would benefit from pent-up demand following the World Cup, but that demand hasn’t yet materialized.

Because the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau does not publish granular data by game type, volume, or hold, analysts cannot definitively tell if table luck cut into overall GGR. Even so, the first full month following the World Cup’s July 19 conclusion clearly underperformed expectations.

The World Cup probably had a larger impact relative to prior periods. It’s a little bit hard to give you the exact reason why. We were surprised that the impact probably was more significant this year than it has been in past years,” Evan Winkler, president of Melco Resorts, said on the company’s second quarter earnings call on Aug. 13.

“From our standpoint, we definitely did take a hit. I don’t know where they went, but the assumption is that they probably did some level of sports activity,” Winkler said.

Observers reported a strong start to August, with Citigroup conveying that the 31 high rollers it monitored were betting an average of MOP251,000 (US$31,132) per hand of baccarat. But over the month, fewer whales were spotted in the casino hub.

September Recovery

September will be a key month in determining how Macau bounces back from the effects of the FIFA World Cup.

September is historically a slow month in Macau, as families wrap their summer vacations and children return to school. Consumer travel pulls back before the Oct. 1-7 Golden Week holiday, which celebrates the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Oct. 1, 1949.

The various factors mean Macau typically features fewer special events and entertainment attractions in September.