TLDR
- Macau casinos generated $2.80 billion in gross gaming revenue in March 2026, up 15% year-over-year
- March revenue also rose 9.6% compared to February’s $2.56 billion
- Q1 2026 total reached MOP65.87 billion (~$8.1 billion), a 14.3% increase over Q1 2025
- Citigroup reported stronger premium mass baccarat activity with higher player counts and bigger average wagers
- March posted the strongest year-over-year growth of any month in the quarter
Macau’s casinos brought in MOP22.61 billion, roughly $2.80 billion, in gross gaming revenue during March 2026. The figures were released by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
That number represents a 15% increase compared to March 2025. It also marked a 9.6% jump from February’s MOP20.63 billion.
The March result pushed Macau’s total Q1 2026 gambling revenue to MOP65.87 billion. That works out to approximately $8.1 billion for the first three months of the year.
The quarterly total represents a 14.3% rise over the same period in 2025. Gains built steadily across all three months of the quarter.
January and February had already set the stage for a strong quarter. March’s performance added to what was already an upward trend in the region’s gaming sector.
Premium Mass Players Drive Stronger Numbers
Citigroup released its monthly survey of baccarat premium play alongside the March data. The bank said the number of high-value players it observed had increased from a year earlier.
Average wagers per premium mass player also improved on a year-over-year basis, according to the survey. These higher-value segments tend to have an outsized effect on monthly revenue totals.
The premium mass category sits between the standard mass market and the VIP junket segment. It has become a key driver for Macau operators in recent years.
The official government data did not break out revenue by segment. However, the Citigroup survey offered a separate indication that activity in the premium mass space was trending in a positive direction.
Together, the bureau’s numbers and the bank’s observations suggest premium mass play helped lift both the year-over-year and month-on-month comparisons for March.
Q1 Momentum Sets Up a Stronger Q2
March posted the steepest year-over-year gain of any month in the first quarter. That gives the market a stronger base heading into Q2 2026.
The quarter’s revenue built progressively. Each month came in higher than the last, showing a consistent pattern rather than a one-time spike.
Macau’s gaming recovery has continued to gain traction since restrictions were lifted in early 2023. The territory has steadily closed the gap with its pre-pandemic revenue levels.
The government release did not include forward-looking projections. But the steady quarterly growth rate suggests the recovery pattern remains intact.
The 14.3% Q1 increase is the latest data point in a stretch of positive year-over-year comparisons for the region. Macau’s six licensed casino operators have all been reporting improved conditions in their recent earnings updates.
March 2026 marked the strongest single month of the quarter, with $2.80 billion in gross gaming revenue and a 15% year-over-year increase, according to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
