Sands China Ltd. (SCHYF)

Analysis-Macau casinos play best hands to win over premium customers

A change in the type of customers coming to Macau has seen smaller casino operators MGM China and Wynn Macau reap rewards, while larger rivals Sands China and Galaxy Entertainment rush to catch up. As visitors gravitate back to the world's biggest gambling hub, the recovery has shifted towards affluent premium mass customers, whose individual bets at high-limit baccarat tables range from hundreds of dollars to a few thousand dollars. The high roller VIP segment, which used to account for the bulk of Macau's revenues, has collapsed due to strict regulation, while the lowest spending mass segment involving minimum bets of about $60 is still not back to 2019 levels.