Macau Gaming Tax Revenue Climbs 13% Year-on-Year to $6.3 Billion in First Half of 2026

Macau’s government recorded gaming tax collections of MOP51.19 billion ($6.3 billion) during the first six months of 2026, representing a 13.1 percent increase compared with the same period a year earlier, according to central account budget execution data.

The rise in gaming-related tax income helped push Macau’s fiscal surplus to MOP13.28 billion ($1.6 billion) through June 30, marking a 14.7 percent improvement from the MOP11.58 billion ($1.4 billion) surplus reported during the corresponding period in 2025.

The first-half surplus also significantly exceeded the government’s full-year budget forecast.

The amount was more than two and a half times higher than the MOP5.22 billion ($646 million) surplus projected for the entire year.

In June alone, Macau collected MOP8.67 billion ($1.07 billion) in gaming tax revenue, an increase of 6.3 percent compared with June 2025. The monthly figure was calculated by comparing the latest cumulative revenue data with the totals recorded through May.

Gaming taxes continued to represent the dominant source of government income, accounting for approximately 86 percent of total public revenue during the first half of the year. Overall public revenue reached MOP59.54 billion ($7.4 billion), reflecting a year-on-year increase of 12.5 percent.

Meanwhile, government spending also increased during the period, rising 11.9 percent year-on-year to MOP46.26 billion ($5.7 billion). The growth in expenditure was mainly driven by higher transfers, subsidies, and grants, which climbed to MOP27.27 billion ($3.4 billion), compared with MOP20.68 billion ($2.6 billion) in the same period last year.

Macau’s 2026 budget plan projects total revenue of MOP92.53 billion ($11.5 billion) from games of fortune for the full year. By the end of June, gaming tax collections had already reached 55.3 percent of that annual target, keeping revenue slightly ahead of the government’s expected collection pace.

By fLEXI tEAM