Results for May show a 5% year-on-year (YoY) increase. The rise was fueled by China’s Labour Day Golden Week, as well as benefiting from a strategic hospitality launch event.

The Labour Day holiday event, which ran from May 1 to 5, reportedly brought in nearly 850,000 visitors to the region.

As a consequence, casino visitor numbers were also up, which insiders estimate meant gaming floors saw revenue returns of over $124 million per day during the peak holiday period.

In addition to the Golden Week celebrations, May’s calendar encompassed five Saturdays, which, given Macau’s tendency to generate 20% more revenue on the weekends, also bolstered totals. 

Before May 2025, Macau’s best post-pandemic tally saw casinos collect a monthly high of $2.58 billion in October 2024. The region’s latest figures also mark a 12.4% rise from April 2025, sustaining hopes for a continued revival in the world’s largest gambling hub.

Luxury Launch Drives Macau VIP Growth

Another driving factor for May’s results was the soft opening of Capella at Galaxy Macau, which bolstered VIP numbers by drawing in more high-rolling visitors from Asia. 

As a result, the new luxury hotel launch reportedly boosted VIP turnover by 25-30%, raising GGR by $85.06 million in the third week of May alone.

Having reviewed Capella’s initial results, analysts from HSBC and UBS both suggested the VIP win rates were 3.5% to 3.7%, which helped support the sector’s above-average revenue performance. 

Consequently, both institutions have since raised their GGR projections for May, with HSBC increasing its estimated outlook for the month to between $26.1 and $26.9 billion.

However, despite the region’s continued recovery, year-to-date gross gaming revenue stands at $12.1 billion, representing a 1.7% increase from the same period in 2024. 

This puts Macau’s monthly average returns at $2.42 billion this year, slightly below the desired $2.48 billion per month required to keep pace with the government’s annual target of $29.7 billion.

Incremental Growth Still Some Way Away from Pre-Pandemic Levels

While May’s figures remain promising, Macau’s GGR for the first five months of 2025 equates to just 77.7% of that recorded during the same period in 2019. Nevertheless, analysts still maintain that the data reflects an overall upward trend toward pre-pandemic levels.

Irrespective of the optimistic outlook, Macau is now prepping itself for a precarious June, as experts predict the likely traditional seasonal dip in visitor numbers. Additionally, the looming threat of the typhoon season will further reduce visitor numbers.

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As reported by InsideAsianGaming, total GGR was recorded at MOP 20.2 billion (US$2.52 billion), a 29 per cent increase on the same period last year. 

Furthermore, underlining the upward trajectory of the region, it also saw a nine per cent rise from GGR in April, continuing to build back from a challenging period – fuelled by the lifting of pandemic restrictions. 

It also marks a trend of the region’s gambling sector, continuing to exceed expectations when it comes to engagement and turnover – in March it also enjoyed a staggering 53.1 per cent growth compared to the same period last year. 

In total, March saw MOP 19.5bn ($2.4bn) coming in, numbers that were bolstered by a growing number of visitors in the region – as footfall and tourism continued to grow significantly. 

Speaking to Bloomberg China, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macau Tourism Office, revealed just how significant the growth of tourism has been in the region, predicting that a total of 33 million tourists will embrace the region this year.

Success has been felt by those operating in the region. Earlier in the year MGM China stated that it no longer requires funding as it halted a lucrative revolving loan facility with controlling shareholder MGM Resorts. 

After agreeing the cancellation of the loan, it was also revealed that it was untouched as the region and the operator look set for a fruitful period amidst economic growth.

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Sharing its preliminary results for 2021, the company’s average monthly GGR totalled €130m – €88m in 2020 – with average bet sums exceeding €5bn per month, compared to €2.2bn during the same period last year, highlighting a growth of 130 per cent. 

Moreover, annual GGR in January 2021 capped at €130m whilst in December of this year was over the €250m mark. A similar trend was visible with the annual sum of bets, which almost doubled from €3.3bn to €6.5bn. 

Softswiss noted that the increase in both can relate to its game aggregator in 2021 delivering to several new markets including Japan, Brazil, Argentina, India and Tunisia. 

Andrey Starovoitov, COO at Softswiss, commented: “These figures are the natural result of the work done over the past year by the Softswiss team on bringing in new clients and partners. 

“Since January we have more than doubled in size: 500+ professionals have joined Softswiss, which couldn’t help but affect our end of year results. We’re developing the best solutions from the igaming industry every day to help our partners build successful businesses. 

“I am very happy with the results achieved and expect even more success in the new year.”

Furthermore, Softswiss confirmed that crypto made up about 40 per cent of all its currency in 2021, a 20 per cent increase from 2020. Bitcoin showed the main increase, taking fifth place in the ranking of the most used currencies in 2021 and remained the most popular cryptocurrency among all Softswiss game aggregator operators at 83.3 per cent, with Ethereum coming in at eight per cent and Litecoin at 3.9 per cent. 

“Softswiss has long been known as a leading B2B crypto solution provider, and this past year has proven that once again,” added Starovoitov. “Cryptocurrencies are an obvious trend in the gambling industry, so in our development we put special emphasis on their use. 

“The 2021 figures are the expected result of the company’s strategy to expand its portfolio with crypto products.” 

In the past year the Softswiss game aggregator partnered with over 60 clients and 20 plus game providers. 

“The common trend is that during the long lockdown in 2020 and the continuing pandemic in 2021, people have been forced to spend a lot of time at home, including at the computer,” summed up Tatyana Kaminskaya, head of game aggregator department at Softswiss.

“Isolation and decreased social activity have influenced a rise in demand for online entertainment. We can see this in the steady increase in the number of bets throughout the year. 

“Observing this trend, we tried to provide our clients with the most diverse content to keep the audience interested and engaged. I can say with confidence that we have succeeded.”

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Falling from $30.9m to $30.2m, the slight dip comes after Virginia’s sports betting volume skyrocketed to a state record in the same month, citing five weekends of football being the driver for catapulting wagers to more than $427m. 

The figure, which was also boosted by the opening of the NBA season and baseball’s postseason, officially made Virginia the quickest state in US history to reach $2bn in lifetime wagers, according to PlayVirginia, which tracks Virginia’s sports betting market.

Dann Stupp, lead analyst for PlayVirginia.com, stated: “With a calendar that included an extra weekend of NFL and college football, the opening of the NBA and NHL seasons, and baseball’s postseason, October was the best opportunity so far for Virginia sportsbooks and the results did not disappoint.

“A strong start to the football season shows a maturing market with an increasing number of operators launching and a base of bettors that are increasingly comfortable with online sports betting.”

Virginia’s online sportsbooks generated $427.3m in bets in October, easily topping the previous record of $304.1m reached in March, according to data by The Virginia Lottery. The state handle was up 45.4 per cent from $293.9m in September as volume rose to $13.8m per day over the 31 days of October from $9.8m in September.

Virginia also reported $15.8m in promotions whittled tabavle revenue down to $9.8m, yielding $1.7m in state taxes. 

Since launching in January 2021, Virginia has produced; $2.4bn in wagering, $206m in GGR, yielding $90.8m in taxable revenue and $14.4m in state taxes.

“It’s hard to imagine a better start for Virginia’s sports betting industry,” said Eric Ramsey, an analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayVirginia.com. “The brisk action over the last two months is raising the bar for the entire market, too. Not only are more Virginians betting, but they are expanding their interest in less conventional wagers such as in-game betting.”

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Totalling $28.6m in GGR in October, the new record beats the amount previously set in January – $23.1m – and up from September ($22.7m) and an increase of 64.4 per cent from $17.4m in the same period last year.

“With such a packed sports schedule, sportsbooks clearly saw an opportunity to reach new customers in October,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for the PlayUSA.com network, which includes PlayColorado.com. “Online operators have been aggressive in Colorado from the beginning, in part because the state has incentivised heavy promotional spending. That has limited tax revenue, but ideally more in tax receipts will come as the market grows.”

The record GGR total comes as Colorado fell just short of becoming the fifth US state to generate $500m in legal sports wagers in a single month in October. 

The $491 million in wagers marked the second consecutive monthly handle record and produced a record high in revenue, giving Colorado its most lucrative month since launching in 2000, according to PlayColorado, which tracks the state’s regulated sports betting market.

“Five full weekends of the NFL and college football will always be good for sportsbooks, but for that to coincide with baseball’s postseason and the opening of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche seasons made October a sort of perfect storm,” added Ian St. Clair, lead analyst for PlayColorado.com. 

“Importantly, the base of sports bettors in Colorado continues to expand, and those bettors are wagering more than this time last year as they become more comfortable with in-game betting at online sportsbooks. Altogether it points to a bright future for the industry.”

Online and retail sportsbooks in Colorado accepted $491.5m in wagers in October, up 20.4 per cent from the record $408.3m in September, according to data released by the Colorado Division of Gaming. 

October’s handle included $483.3m in wagers through online operators, as overall volume jumped 133.2 per cent from $210.7m in October 2020.

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Down 5.9 per cent from $94.9m to $89.2m, over the 30 days of June, online casinos and poker rooms produced $3m per day, down from $3.1m per day in May, yielding $13.7m in state taxes and $5m in local taxes. 

“It’s not surprising to see revenue drop a bit during the summer months, when people tend to spend less time indoors,” explained Jessica Welman, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayMichigan.com. “Overall, the online gambling market has been remarkably consistent so far. Growth will return — probably in the fall when the weather begins to turn. In the meantime, online casino gaming will continue to be the most dependable source of revenue for operators and for the state that Michigan’s gaming industry can provide.”

BetMGM/MGM Grand Detroit easily topped the online casino and poker market once again with $33.8m in gross gaming revenue.

Despite the drop in online casino GGR, Michigan’s online and retail sports betting volume rose slightly in June yet remained relatively low as the summer slowdown continued.

“Michigan’s sportsbooks grew so quickly from January through March that the slowdown that has followed might feel more dramatic than the reality,” Welman added. “Sportsbooks remain in excellent position for a ramp up when football season approaches. Until then, they will have to rely on opportunities such as the Olympics and the NBA Finals to stoke interest.”

Michigan’s online sportsbooks accepted $235.1m in wagers over the 30 days of June, down 1 per cent from $237.6m over the 31 days of May, according to official data released on Monday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. 

With $24.4m in retail handle, announced earlier this week, Michigan’s online and retail sportsbooks took in a combined $259.4m in bets, up 0.7 per cent from $257.7m in bets in May.

April, May, and June are typically three of the slowest sports betting months of the year, but no major US sports jurisdiction has experienced a steeper decline from March’s highs as has Michigan. 

June’s combined handle is off 32.4 per cent from the record $383.7m combined handle in March. By comparison, Indiana’s sports betting volume dropped 22.2 per cent from March to June, and Iowa is down 31.1 per cent.

Gross gaming revenue at online sportsbooks rose 28.2 per cent to $24.9m in June from a $19.5m total in May. And June’s online sports betting hold of 10.6 per cent for operators was their best for any full month in Michigan. 

“We’ve been waiting for a bump in taxable revenue that led to a real increase in tax revenue, which we finally got in June,” said Matt Schoch, analyst for PlayMichigan.com. “If there has been a disappointment with Michigan’s launch, it’s that tax revenue gains have lagged. So hopefully, this will continue into the fall, when we know revenue from sports betting will make a big leap forward.”

FanDuel topped the online market in June with a $77.3m handle, up from $71.2m in May. That led to a market-best $10.3m in gross sports betting revenue, up from $9.3m. June’s action produced $8.1m in taxable revenue.

“FanDuel really opened up a significant market share lead, which will be difficult for any rival to overcome,” Schoch concluded.

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Wagers in May produced £23.2m in GGR, compared to $19.4m in April. Adjusted GGR also rose to 15.7m from 13.8m the month previous, which yielded £2.4m in state taxes, including $59.527 for problem gambling support. 

Since launch, sportsbooks have generated $85m in gross gaming revenue and $5.6m in state taxes.

Moreover, recording $1.1bn in wagers in just over four months after launching, PlayVirginia – which tracks the state’s gaming market – noted the record is the “latest sign of how successful” the launch of sports betting has been for the Commonwealth. 

Jessica Welman, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayVirginia, explained: “The launch of sports betting in Virginia has gone about as smoothly as could have been expected.

“Launching just in time for the Super Bowl got the market off on the right foot. But the state’s sportsbooks still reached the $1bn milestone mostly without the benefit of football and during two months when sports betting typically slows. That makes the record all the more impressive.”

Virginia bettors placed $227.0m in wagers in May, down from $236.4m in April, according to data released on Thursday by The Virginia Lottery. Equating to $7.3m in wagers poured in each day over the 31 days of May, down from $7.9m per day over the 30 days in April.

May’s four per cent decline in wagering is in line with what most major US sports betting markets have experienced in April and May, historically two of the slowest sports betting months of the year. 

“The state’s best month came in March, exacerbating the slowdown, but Virginia is managing the offseason about as well as a young market could hope,” said Dann Stupp, analyst for PlayVirginia.com. “The playoff appearances by the Washington Wizards and Capitals in May were a help. But without a significant local draw over the next few months, sportsbooks will have to be innovative to keep bettors engaged.”

The post Virginia posts 19% GGR increase for record month May appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The proposal, which was tabled for the Hellinikon Casino Tender, was reportedly turned down for ‘technical reasons and for the substance of its offer’, with the authority instead granting the permit to Hard Rock‘s rival, Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment.

HRI released a statement in response to the disqualification which reads: “While we are disappointed by this news, we are more disappointed in the process.  Hard Rock firmly believes it was wrongly disqualified based on an inaccurate rationale and a clear conflict of interest. 

“Hard Rock engaged its legal counsel in Greece and has retained counsel in Brussels to review the matter. Hard Rock has uncovered that the law firm advising the Hellinikon IRC Tender Committee and the Hellenic Gaming Commission on our disqualification, has also represented a member of the competing bidder since 2008.” 

As well as citing conflict of interest, HRI also stated that its competitors should have been disqualified following ‘deficiencies’ in their submissions and made it clear that it would seek to reverse the Hellenic Gaming Commission’s decision to award the license to its rival bidder.

The statement concluded: “Hard Rock put forward to the committee serious deficiencies in our competitor’s submission, including its failure to notify the committee of one of its member’s participation in a price fixing cartel, which we were advised should have led to their disqualification.

“Hard Rock will take the necessary actions to protect the company and its brand from unfair and improper practices both in Greece and with the European Commission. 

“The company’s goal is to see that a fair process for the tender is completed and that the technical and financial sections of the submission are opened for both parties to ensure a transparent outcome.”

Earlier this week Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment saw its proposed integrated resort and casino development for Greece’s Hellinikon Project approved by the Hellenic Gaming Commission, as widely expected.

The Connecticut headquartered firm unveiled plans for Inspire Athens last year, with the proposed integrated resort and casino development slated to create in excess of 7,000 jobs for the region during and after construction, including direct, indirect and induced.

The casino property is to form just one part of Lamda Development‘s wider €8bn Hellinikon Project, being developed on the site of the old Ellinikon International Airport which has sat empty for more than 18 years after being replaced by the new Athens entity.

The wider multi-faceted construction is also slated to incorporate a metropolitan park, shops, offices, sports and conference facilities, luxury hotels, museums, malls, cultural venues, health centres, educational and research facilities and a marina.

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There was also a monthly drop from January 2018, which has seen a monthly gross revenue of MOP26.26bn (€2.67bn). Analysts suggest that the timing of Chinese New Year was a factor in holding down February GGR.

However, the figures, published by the DICJ, Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, show that year-to-date figures compare favourably, with the first two months of 2018 accumulating gross revenue of MOP50.56bn (€5.15bn).

The two-month GGR represents a near 20 per cent gain on the same point in 2017.

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The 1.9 per cent drop saw total GGR across the state fall to $2.08bn in 2017. The decrease was mitigated somewhat by a relatively strong performance in November and December that saw monthly GGR climb to $162m and $177m respectively, a year-on-year increase of $5m and $7m.

Casinos in the north of the state were hardest hit in 2017, seeing total GGR drop to $595m from $631m in 2016. Central venues dropped $10m year on year, to $292m in 2017.

Mississippi’s Gulf Coast casinos bucked the trend, however, with GGR up a modest $4m in 2017 compared with 2016, to $1.192bn.

The news comes as adjacent state Louisiana weighs up the need to permit riverboat casinos in the state to develop land-based properties adjacent to their berths in order to compete with Mississippi venues.

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