The government's income from gaming taxes fell 13.3 percent year-on-year to 8.83 billion patacas (US$1.1 billion) last month, the Financial Services Bureau (DSF) announced today.
In January last year, the government's receipts from gaming taxes amounted to 10.19 billion patacas.
Last month's income from gaming taxes paid by the city's six rival gaming operators - Sands, Galaxy, SJM, MGM, Wynn and Melco - accounted for 88.9 percent of the government's total current receipts of 9.93 billion patacas.
Macau's 41 casinos - 29 of which reopened today after a 15-day government-ordered shutdown in response to the novel coronavirus threat - pay 35 percent of their gross receipts as direct tax. Additionally, they pay around 4 percent in other dues to the government.
The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic began to affect Macau in the second half of last month, its Chinese New Year holiday period in particular.
The government's income from indirect taxes fell 35.4 percent year-on-year to 240 million patacas in January.
The government's total income last month, comprising current and capital receipts, fell 19.4 percent year-on-year to 10.02 billion patacas.
The government's current expenditure rose 0.9 percent year-on-year to 3.07 billion patacas last month, resulting in a surplus of 6.94 billion patacas. In January 2019, the surplus stood at 9.38 billion patacas.
Expenditure on personnel accounted for 35.7 percent of the government's current expenses last month.
The government employs about 33,000 people, or around 11 percent of Macau's workforce.
