High-rollers return to give Macau boost

High-rolling Chinese gamblers are helping Macau’s casinos return to a winning streak after a turbulent few years grappling with an anti-corruption campaign, data shows.

Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau has recorded the first annual gaming revenue growth in the region in three years.

The report will boost confidence in the gaming mecca on China’s south coast. Venues in the former Portuguese territory, including the high-profile Venetian Macau, have hosted performances by singers Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

The area has enjoyed an incredible transformation from a shabby city to the world’s premier gambling destination, overtaking Las Vegas in revenue terms in 2007 as the poker boom took hold in China.

However, the market has suffered since Beijing increased anti-corruption measures in 2014, putting off VIP players who became nervous about flaunting their cash.

December gaming revenues of 22.7 billion patacas (£2 billion), were up 14.5% from the same month in 2016. The full-year figure rose 19.5% to 265.7 billion patacas.

But revenues are still a way off the highs enjoyed before the 2014 crack-down.