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Macau suffers worst year for casinos

Shrinking revenue likely until mid-2015, as Beijing's graft crackdown deters high-rollers

Published Fri, Jan 2, 2015 · 09:50 PM

Hong Kong

MACAU'S casinos recorded their worst year in 2014, ending a decade of expansion that turned the former Portuguese enclave into the world's biggest gambling hub. More tough times are ahead.

Casino revenue in the city fell 2.6 per cent to 351.5 billion patacas (S$58.5 billion) in 2014, after a record 30.4 per cent monthly drop in December, according to figures from Macau's Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau on Friday.

Analysts projected a 2 per cent annual decline,…