The Macau government has lowered by 5.0 percent its 2025 income forecast in relation to the city’s direct 35-percent tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR).
The city now expects to collect this year MOP79.8 billion (US$9.87 billion) from direct gaming tax, versus a prior budgetary forecast of MOP84.0 billion. Macau refers officially to its 35-percent direct tax on GGR as “special gaming tax”.
The revision in income estimate from such tax is in a government-proposed 2025 fiscal budget amendment bill being scrutinised by a subcommittee of Macau’s Legislative Assembly. The figures are outlined in a newly-issued opinion document from that subcommittee.
The 2025 fiscal budget amendment bill had a final approval by the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (July 9).
On June 3, the city’s government had reduced by circa 5 percent its 2025 forecast for Macau GGR, to MOP228 billion from a previous projection of MOP240 billion.
The freshly-issued opinion document also mentions a change in forecast public income from an effective tax on gambling that is not a direct one: i.e., the 3-percent levy on GGR for “urban development, tourism promotion and social security”.
The authorities now expect MOP6.84 billion from that this year, a 5-percent reduction from the prior estimate. Macau also has a 2-percent levy on GGR that goes to support public funds.
The opinion document outlined that the 2025 government income from tax on commissions paid by casinos to licensed gaming promoters or “junkets”, would stay unchanged at MOP100 million.
At the time of the revised forecast on 2025 GGR, Ho In Mui, deputy director of the Financial Services Bureau, cited as factors, global economic conditions and changes in consumption patterns of tourists to Macau.
(Updated July 9, 6.04pm)
