Which Macau operator performed best in 2020?

After leading the pack for several years, Sands China and Galaxy Entertainment were displaced in the first three quarters.

Macau.- In the first nine months of 2020, Melco Resorts was the best performing operator in Macau in terms of revenue.

During a period that was heavily impacted by an unprecedented lack of business due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Melco overtook Sands China and Galaxy Entertainment Group, who have occupied the top spot for several years.

Aided mostly by its City of Dreams resort, the operator took a 24.6 per cent share of all gaming revenue in the first three quarters.

City of Dreams also came out on top among the 41 local casinos, generating MOP6.4bn (US$801.5m). It was followed by Galaxy Macau at MOP5bn and The Venetian at MOP2.8bn.

Melco was followed by Sands China with a 19.5 per cent share of revenue, according to a report from Tribuna de Macau that cited Sanford C. Bernstein and Deutsche Bank.

Galaxy Entertainment Group came third, with 18.8 per cent, followed by SJM Holdings (16 per cent), Wynn Macau (12.5 per cent), and MGM (8.6 per cent).

Melco also took first place with VIP revenues, accounting for 35.8 per cent of the sector in the first three quarters. Sands China was number one in terms of mass-market gaming revenue, with a 24.7 per cent share.

As a whole, Macau casinos generated MOP38.6bn (US$4.8bn) in gross gaming revenues in the first nine months of 2020, down 82 per cent from the same period last year.