Leading the pack. SJM Holdings topped the gaming revenue league in March. Business Daily data assigns it 23.2 pct of the take. The total pie declined 39.4 pct to MOP21.5 billion.
SJM Holdings topped the gaming industry rankings in terms of market share during March, according to the calculations of Business Daily. Despite the fact that industry gaming revenue declined 39.4 per cent year-on-year in the third month of the year from MOP35.5 billion (US$4.45 billion) to MOP21.5 billion, the gaming operator increased its share from 23.1 per cent in February to 23.2 per cent.
Following the company founded by Stanley Ho Hung Sun comes Sands China, owner of The Venetian. Sheldon Adelson’s company took 21.4 per cent of the market during March but lost first place in relation to February when it reached a share of 23.3 per cent and was at the top of the Macau industry.
Galaxy was also one of the losers of the month, as from February to March its slice of market share was cut from 21.5 per cent to 20.1 per cent. However, the company founded by Lui Che Woo, and which is going to open Phase II of Galaxy Macau and Broadway at Macau in May held onto third position.
March was not an easy month for Melco Crown. The company that controls City of Dreams and that is expecting to start operating the Studio City resort by the end of the year reached a share of 13.9 per cent during March. However, this means that according to Business Daily calculations the group had lost 0.5 per cent of the market since February when its slice of the pie was 14.4 per cent.
At the bottom of the market share table appear Wynn Macau and MGM China. Steve Wynn’s company recovered fifth place and took 11.2 per cent of the market, while in February it occupied only 8.6 per cent. Meanwhile, MGM China was relegated to sixth position although it took 10.2 per cent of the market share while in the second month of the year it took 9 per cent.
Encouraging signs in market
Despite the 39.4 per cent plunge in gaming revenues, there are some encouraging signs related to VIP gaming, according to a Credit Suisse report.
‘Our junket contacts see some initial signs of bottoming. Credit extension is still cautious but the repayment cycle hasn’t deteriorated further’, the report explains. ‘VIP revenue trends unusually lead the premium mass segment by about three months. If the VIP segment stabilises, premium mass may follow in the next few months’.
Concerning this month, a Deutsche Bank report says that the industry in on track for a 35 per cent decline in revenues.
‘Over the last four years, April, on average, has been down roughly 4.8 per cent from March gross gaming revenue. Should the average hold firm, April would fall around 35 per cent year-on-year’, the German bank surmised.

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