Macau’s gaming sector suffered its first annual decline in revenue last year, as Beijing’s anti-corruption drive dented spending by wealthy individuals.
Total revenue dropped 2.6 per cent in 2014, official data released on Friday showed — the first such fall on record. In December, revenue slumped almost one-third year-on-year to the lowest monthly figure since 2011.
The small city of Macau — just an hour away from Hong Kong by ferry — has risen to become the world’s top destination for gambling since opening up to foreign entrants a decade ago. Annual revenues from the sector in the former Portuguese colony are roughly seven times that of Las Vegas.