Macquarie: Expecting a 9% year-on-year increase in Macau's gaming revenue this year.

Macquarie released a research report stating that, according to third-party data projections, due to seasonal slowdown, Macau's gambling revenue dropped by 2% last week to 6.14 billion Macau dollars. It is estimated that the gambling revenue for January will be between 18.5 billion to 19.5 billion yuan, reaching 74 to 78% of the same period in 2019. The report mentioned that the Macau government has raised its forecast for the number of visitors to Macau this year, expecting it to reach 38 to 39 million, which is 96 to 99% of the level in 2019. In addition, residents with registered household in Zhuhai can now apply for a "one-week, one-visit" visa to travel to Macau. Macquarie believes that this is a positive factor, as the Chinese government is relaxing visa policies, and this move may signal further relaxation of policies in the near future. The bank expects Macau's gambling revenue to increase by 9% year-on-year to 244 billion Macau dollars this year.