Posted on: March 17, 2026, 12:51h.
Last updated on: March 16, 2026, 04:04h.
- Macau casino revenue led to $11.8 billion in gaming taxes for the government
- About 83 cents of every tax dollar received by the Macau SAR Government came from gaming
- Macau is the world’s biggest gaming market in terms of annual revenue
Macau’s gaming revenue share totaled MOP94.9 billion (US$11.8 billion) in 2025.
The $11.8 billion benefit received by the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government exceeded pre-2025 expectations of $11.6 billion in tax money. The local government had actually revised the tax projection downward mid-last year amid deteriorating economic outlooks, but a strong second half resulted in the original estimate being topped.
Sands, Galaxy, Wynn, MGM, Melco, and SJM generated gross gaming revenue of $30.7 billion last year, the highest annual mark since pre-pandemic 2019.
The city taxes the casino’s gaming revenue at an effective rate of 40%. The revenue vs. tax numbers do not precisely correlate due to how the government assesses each casino’s monthly tax duty and when casino revenues are reported by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
Most of the casino taxes go to the SAR’s general fund. A portion additionally supports social and cultural funds, as well as the promotion of tourism and urban development.
Casino Taxes Remain Dominant
In the pandemic’s aftermath, at the direction of Beijing, the Macau SAR Government has focused on diversifying its economy in hopes of lessening its reliance on its casino market, which is the world’s richest gambling hub. The necessity for other tax sources was exacerbated during the coronavirus pandemic, as the city shut down along with mainland China.
While the 2022 relicensing of the six casino concessions included provisions requiring the resort operators to invest more than $16 billion in nongaming amenities, so far, the push to attract nongamblers and bring new businesses to the region hasn’t paid off.
Macau’s $11.8 billion in gaming taxes accounted for about 83 cents of every tax dollar the SAR Government received last year.
The government is forecasting a conservative gaming tax projection of MOP92.53 billion in 2026. With the unrest in the Middle East and ongoing trade tensions with the US, the government says a cautious approach is being taken.
Through two months, 2026 Macau GGR was up 13.9% to $5.3 billion.
Casino Worker Pay Increases
As of December, Macau’s gaming industry employed 53,075 full-time workers, a negligent 0.2% year-over-year increase. The average monthly pay, however, was up 4.2% from December 2024 to MOP28,020 (US$3,476).
Table dealers, which account for the bulk of the workforce, made about $2,720 a month. Directors and managers averaged almost $8,900 a month, and associate professionals and technicians were at $3,700.
Macau’s unemployment rate ended the year at just 1.8%. The city reported that unemployment further dropped to 1.7% in January 2026. China’s unemployment rate, as of February, was 5.3%.
