Five of the six casino operators in Macau have established exclusive gaming rooms exclusively for foreign visitors

To diversify their customer base beyond mainland China, casinos in Macau have implemented measures to attract visitors from other jurisdictions.

As an incentive, Macau has encouraged casino operators to establish gaming rooms exclusively for foreigners, reducing their reliance on high-rollers from mainland China.

As per the news agency Lusa, five casinos in Macau have responded to the initiative to decrease reliance on mainland Chinese high-rollers by establishing gaming rooms exclusively for foreigners.

The Venetian Macau, the Grand Lisboa Palace, the City of Dreams, Studio City, and the MGM Macau, along with its sister property in Cotai, have all introduced exclusive areas dedicated to foreign players. This move has been made to reduce dependence on mainland Chinese high-rollers. However, it seems that Wynn is currently the only operator that has not yet implemented similar facilities.

Macau casino operators were incentivised to establish gaming zones exclusively for foreign gamblers by exempting them from the 5% levy on gross gaming revenue from these areas. This initiative was aimed at reducing the city’s reliance on the mainland Chinese market, particularly during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the efforts to attract overseas tourists by establishing foreigner-only gaming zones, the number of visitors remains relatively low. According to the latest data from the Macau Government Tourism Office, out of the nearly five million visitors in the first quarter of this year, around 3.2 million were from mainland China, with the majority coming from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Visitors from other countries accounted for only a small portion, comprising just two percent of total arrivals in January.