MACAU – Macau collected MOP94.9 billion (US$11.8 billion) in gaming taxes last year, surpassing government projections and underscoring the city’s continued reliance on casino revenue as its economy rebounds from the pandemic.
The 2025 tax haul exceeded the government’s revised forecast of US$11.6 billion, after stronger‑than‑expected results in the second half of the year. Casinos operated by Sands, Galaxy, Wynn, MGM, Melco and SJM generated US$30.7 billion in gross gaming revenue, the highest annual total since 2019.
Macau taxes casino revenue at an effective rate of about 40%, though tax receipts and reported gaming revenue do not always align because of how monthly assessments are calculated and when revenue is recorded by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
Gaming taxes accounted for roughly 83% of all government revenue in 2025, despite ongoing efforts — encouraged by Beijing — to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on the world’s largest gambling market. As part of the 2022 relicensing process, operators committed to investing more than US$16 billion in non‑gaming projects, though those initiatives have yet to meaningfully shift the city’s economic mix.
The government has adopted a cautious outlook for 2026, forecasting MOP92.53 billion in gaming tax revenue amid geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainty. Through the first two months of the year, Macau’s gross gaming revenue was up 13.9% to US$5.3 billion.
Casino workforce and wages
Macau’s gaming industry employed 53,075 full‑time workers as of December, a slight 0.2% increase from a year earlier. Average monthly pay rose 4.2% to MOP28,020 (US$3,476).
Table dealers earned about US$2,720 per month, while directors and managers averaged nearly US$8,900. Associate professionals and technicians earned roughly US$3,700.
Macau ended 2025 with an unemployment rate of 1.8%, which fell to 1.7% in January 2026. By comparison, China’s national unemployment rate stood at 5.3% in February.
