The largest wagering player seen in any of Macau’s premium mass gaming rooms during the five-day May Golden Week holiday period was South Korean, according to Citibank, which also noted this is the first time their “player of the month” has been non-Chinese.
In what may represent some positive progress in the city’s efforts to diversify its high-end customer base, Citi said in a Monday note that the top three players spotted during its latest Macau visit were all seated at the same table at Galaxy Macau’s Horizon Room, each betting between HK$250,000 and HK$399,000 (US$31,980 and US$51,040). However, the largest of them was the South Korean customer, “apparently taken care of by a Korean host,” Citi analysts George Choi and Ryan Cheung explained.
They also confirmed that “whales” – players betting HK$100,000 per hand or more – were seen in the premium mass rooms of all six concessionaires and numbered 37 in total, only slightly fewer than the 41 seen during Chinese New Year in February.
Compared to the May Day holiday period in 2023, total wager was 144% higher, total player count 119% higher and wager per player 11% higher year-on-year.
“Unsurprisingly Galaxy and Sands China, the two operators with the most hotel rooms, seemed to benefit the most from the holiday crowd,” Citi wrote.
The analysts also observed first utilization by operators, including Galaxy and Sands, of a new side bet approved for use by the DICJ last week called Small 6/Big 6.
“Based on our observations,” they said, “[Small 6/Big 6] has already become a popular side bet among players because of its high payout.”
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