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Citi: Macau August premium mass wagers grow despite declining player numbers

Average minimum bets at mass baccarat tables fell 13% to HK$1,901, making the games more accessible to a broader range of players.

1 min read
Citi Macau August survey
Key Points
Premium mass wagers increased 7% year-on-year to HK$14.3m (US$1.83m), despite a 16% decline in the number of premium mass players
Average wagers per premium mass player rose 27% to HK$27,284, indicating stronger spending among higher-value customers

According to Citi analysts, Macau casinos are attracting a wider range of players, with lower minimum bets for mass-market baccarat making the games more accessible, while spending among premium customers remains strong.

These conclusions come from the group's latest table survey in August.

As observed during the survey, total premium mass wagers rose 7% year-on-year to HK$14.3m, up from HK$13.4m in August 2025.

This increase occurred even though the number of premium mass players dropped 16% to 525. However, the average wager per player increased by 27% to HK$27,284, compared to HK$21,543 a year ago.

At the same time, the average minimum bet at Macau’s mass baccarat tables fell 13 percent year-on-year to HK$1,901, down from HK$2,191 in August 2025.

Citi also observed that the latest findings show concerns about weak GGR in Macau during June and July have begun to ease after the impact of the football World Cup subsided.

Furthermore, Citi identified 31 high-spending players, which is seven more than in July but fewer than during the same period last year. The average wager among these players rose by 54% year-on-year, reaching HK$243,548.

In separate news from Macau, official data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) has shown 3.54 million visitor arrivals in July, up 2.4% year-on-year.

However, the number of overnight visitors fell by 2.9% to 1.43 million, leading to a 0.1-day decrease in the average length of stay.

Consequently, the increase in arrivals is attributed to a 6.4% increase in same-day visitors to 2.1 million.

Good to know

Macau’s gaming sector recorded total GGR of MOP 126.9bn (US$15.7bn) for the first half of the year, representing a 6.8% increase compared with the same period in 2025

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Citi Macau August survey
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Citi: Macau August premium mass wagers grow despite declining player numbers

Average minimum bets at mass baccarat tables fell 13% to HK$1,901, making the games more accessible to a broader range of players.

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