Citigroup said Monday that it had sighted a record number of premium mass players and record amount of premium mass wager in Macau’s casinos over the past week, yet another indication of what is being described as a hugely successful Golden Week.
According to analysts George Choi and Timothy Chau, total wager during Citi’s latest premium mass wager reached HK$27.2 million (US$3.5 million) – up 81% over the same period last year and 18% higher than Chinese New Year in February. The number of premium mass players also climbed to a record high of 966 – a 90% year-on-year increase – although wager per player fell slightly to HK$28,150 (US$3,625).
Premium mass table utilization of around 52% was the highest since Citi began taking records, they added.
“Data from our previous surveys already showed that premium mass demand has always been resilient, despite the weak Chinese discretionary spending trends year to date,” Choi and Chau wrote. “We believe the recently announced policy combo from the Chinese government has further enhanced players’ appetite for gaming.”
Citi also spotted a record number of whales, 62, during its Golden Week visit, up 88% year-on-year and 51% higher than during Chinese New Year. These included 15 whales at Galaxy Macau alone, among them the “Player of the Month” with a HK$420,000 (US$54,100) bet.
Galaxy ranked number one according to Citi with a 29% share of total wager observed, which Citi attributed to the Andy Lau concerts that took place at Galaxy Arena from 3 to 6 October.
