ith the introduction of the smoking ban last month which has reduced gamblers' playing time and seen many moving to the VIP rooms to gamble and smoke. Also, the transit visa restrictions shortening gamblers' stay on Macau is having an effect on revenues.
The falling momentum being felt by the mass-market segment is expected to increase in December with even more increased transit visa restrictions from December 2.
The new set of visa restrictions is expected to hurt the mass-market segment even further as most gamblers use transit visas to travel to the region.
According to estimates provided by Credit Suisse Group gaming revenues for December will most likely report a 26% decline from 2013 figures.
For 2015 analysts believe that it will be another 6 months or more before revenues starts to recover for Macau casino operators with new casino resorts coming online and the possible end to the anti-corruption campaign on the mainland.
