Macau crowned world's top casino destination in 2024 in new report

Macau, often dubbed the "Las Vegas of Asia," has been named the world's leading gambling destination in Online Betting Guide’s (OLBG) 2024 Global Casino Index. The city achieved a Casino Index Score of 9.32, securing the top spot ahead of Las Vegas and Singapore.

OLBG, a British publication, highlighted Macau's strong performance across various metrics. “Macau performed very well, ... combining a large number of casinos, casino restaurants, and table games and more than 360,000 annual searches for casinos,” OLBG said.

Macau's overall score of 9.32 placed it first -- two places above Las Vegas with a score of 7.2, and three places ahead of Singapore, Asia’s second-largest gambling destination, with a score of 6.84.

Data from the World Casino Directory revealed that Las Vegas has the highest number of casinos per capita, with 26.28 casinos per 100,000 people, offering a total of 175 casinos. In comparison, Macau ranks fourth with 4.05 casinos per 100,000 people, encompassing 28 casinos in its compact 30.5 square kilometers. Las Vegas, covering about 351.9 square kilometers, is about 11.5 times larger than Macau.

In terms of revenue, Macau rebounded following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023, generating MOP183 billion ($22.7 billion) in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR). The United States, meanwhile, achieved a record USD 66.5 billion in commercial gaming revenue last year, with Nevada casinos contributing over $15 billion.

OLBG's analysis also showed a nearly 50% increase in global Google searches for "casinos near me" over the past year, indicating a rising interest in local gambling venues. Annual casino searches for Macau totaled 363,700, whereas Las Vegas saw 2,747,000 searches.

Steve Madgwick, OLBG’s Editor in Chief, noted Macau's diverse appeal in the global casino landscape. “It is important to note that Las Vegas doesn’t rule as the definitive casino destination though; in this case, Macau can take the plaudits, and features amongst the top 10 casino capitals for several of our ranking factors including; the most affordable casino capitals for hotel prices, casinos per 100,000 people, restaurants per casino, table games per casino, and annual casino searches,” Madgwick said.