The amount of tax revenue collected by the Macau SAR Government from the city’s six casino concessionaires reached MOP$1.21 billion (US$150.3 million) in October, 47.4% lower than the same month last year but 32.1% higher than the MOP$915.8 million (US$113.2 million) collected in September.
The year-on-year decline reflects the ongoing challenging conditions in Macau, which continues to be impacted by China’s COVID-zero policy and a growing outbreak across much of mainland China that is impacting domestic travel.
The October figure also correlates to Macau’s September GGR figure of MOP$3.90 billion (US$481.6 million), which was 31.4% higher than September and considerably improved on the record low of MOP$398 million (US$49 million) recorded in July. It was, however, 10.7% lower than October 2021.
For the first 10 months of 2022 combined direct gaming taxes have reached MOP$16.3 billion (US$2.02 billion) – down from MOP$29.5 billion (US$3.66 billion) a year earlier and representing just 47.5% of the MOP$34.8 billion (US$4.32 billion) the government had budgeted for through October. It is also just 32.7% of the FY22 tax budget of MOP$49.8 billion (US$6.16 billion), according to information from the Financial Services Bureau.
Macau’s gaming taxes include a 35% “special gaming tax” paid directly to the Macau government plus another 4% other charges, comprising a 1.6% levy which funds the Macao Foundation’s cultural, social, economic, educational, scientific, academic and philanthropic activities, and a 2.4% contribution (1.4% for SJM) to the urban construction, tourism and social security fund.
