Macau’s 38 casinos last month recorded their best gross gaming revenue since March, reaching 2.2 billion patacas (US$277 million), the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) announced last week.

According to DICJ figures, the sector’s gross gaming revenue last month fell 90.0 percent year-on-year but rose 66.2 percent month-to-month. In March, the casino sector recorded a gross gaming revenue (GGR) of 5.25 billion patacas. This year’s best casino revenue month was achieved in January, when it stood at 22.1 billion patacas.

Macau’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed on January 22. Since then the special administrative region has been subject to strict novel coronavirus prevention and control measures, border entry curbs and nucleic acid tests (NATs) for visitors and residents alike.

In the first nine months of the year, Macau’s casinos generated 38.6 billion patacas in gross gaming revenue, down 82.5 percent year-on-year.

According to DICJ data, Macau’s six gaming operators own 41 casinos, three of which – all of them SJM properties – have their operations suspended.