Macau Baccarat 90.8 pct of Q1 casino receipts

From "Macaunews.com"

Macau, China, 18 Apr - Baccarat further consolidated its dominant position in the local gaming industry by generating 90.8 percent of casino gross receipts in the first quarter, according to statistics released by the Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau (DICJ) Monday.

In the first quarter of last year, VIP and mass-market baccarat combined accounted for 89.8 percent of the casino sector's gross receipts, The Macau Post Daily points out today.

VIP baccarat alone produced 42.57 billion patacas in gross receipts in the first three months of this year, accounting for 72.7 percent of all casino gross receipts.

While VIP baccarat's gross receipts rose 48 percent, the casino industry's total gross receipts of 58.52 billion patacas grew 42.9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter.

VIP baccarat's gross receipts in the first three months of this year exceeded those for the whole of 2006, which stood at 36.78 billion patacas.

Gross receipts from mass-market baccarat rose 31.5 percent to 10.56 billion patacas.

Slot machines generated gross receipts of 2.72 billion patacas in the first quarter, up 39.8 percent. However, slot machines' share of casinos' total gross receipts was slightly down. Slot machines accounted for 4.65 percent of all casino gross receipts between January and March. In the same period of last year, their share stood at 4.75 percent.

Big-and-small - also known as "cussec" - was the only other casino game apart from VIP and mass-market baccarat and slot machines - whose gross receipts in the first quarter exceeded the one billion pataca threshold.

The traditional Chinese game of dice generated 1.06 billion patacas in gross receipts, up 22.8 percent year-on-year.

Black jack generated gross receipts of 663 million patacas, up 11.6 percent. Stud poker rose 11 percent to 303 million patacas.

All the other games of chance remained well under the 100 million pataca threshold in the first quarter, when Macau 's casinos ran 22 different games of chance.

The number of gaming tables stood at 4,853 at the end of March, 42 more than a year earlier. The number of slot machines amounted to 13,787, down by 716 from March last year.

The number of casinos remained unchanged at 33 - 20 owned by SJM, five by Galaxy, three each by the Venetian Macau and Melco Crown, and one each by Wynn and MGM.

Casinos' games of chance generated 99.5 percent of the gaming industry's total gross receipts of 58.83 billion patacas in the first quarter.

Well, if its a fad its certainly a very popular one. No wonder Oriental visitors to Vegas play Baccarat so often.

MiniBacc tables get heavy action at Seminole casinos in Florida too, including heavy oriental action but in Florida there is no roulette or craps.

Cussec? Seems to be Sic Bo with all the high house edge bets removed.

Thanks Pando. Very interesting. Are there any figures on the casino's "hold", (i.e., the amount left over after the casino pays winners)?

Quote: Ayecarumba

Thanks Pando. Very interesting. Are there any figures on the casino's "hold", (i.e., the amount left over after the casino pays winners)?

Revenue is the same as hold.

Vegas Strip had $10.46 billion in play in baccarat for the last year and $749 million in mini-baccarat with hold percent of 10.27% and 9.35% respectfully. Macau is now taking nearly twice the "hold" as Vegas is doing in "play". And they are still growing. That should get your attention.

Quote: pacomartin

Revenue is the same as hold.

Thanks Paco. I wanted to clarify what Pando meant by, "gross receipts". I always assume there is a corresponding, "net receipts" figure somewhere down the line.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Thanks Paco. I wanted to clarify what Pando meant by, "gross receipts". I always assume there is a corresponding, "net receipts" figure somewhere down the line.

I will do some research to se if the figures are available