The Market Vectors Gaming ETF (NYSEArca: BJK), the lone exchange traded fund dedicated to casino operators and related companies, has enjoyed a modest bounce in recent day, but that rebound could be short-lived as Macau-related headwinds continuing hanging over the international gaming industry.
BJK has been hampered by retreating gaming data out of Macau, the world’ largest gambling hub. China is BJK’s second-largest country weight and Macau is a Chinese territory. casino industry has suffered a huge blow to VIP gaming after President Xi Jingping enacted a campaign on widespread corruption, which included thousands of officials and executives at state-owned enterprises. [Macau Illegal Transaction Crackdown Puts Gaming ETF in the Red]
Macau has been pressuring BJK since last year. In 2014, gamblers stayed home to bet on the World Cup. Limited access to smaller smaller junket operators, who extend credit to gamblers, is also weighing on the market.
U.S.-focused gambling stocks have not been anything to write home about, either. Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS), Wynn Resorts (NasdaqGS: WYNN) and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) have posted year-to-date losses.
“Macau’s economy dipped to its lowest since 2011 as high-end gamblers avoided the world’s largest casino market amid a widening crackdown on graft in China. The city where gambling accounts for four-fifths of economic output saw GDP tumble 26.4 percent in the last quarter, according to government data released Monday. The drop worsened from 24.5 percent in the first quarter,” according to Bloomberg.
Macau, the only Chinese territory where gambling is legal, is the world’s largest gambling hub. The city is trying to rebuild its market with shops, restaurants, entertainment shows and other non-gaming attractions to bring in more middle-class tourism. For instance, Galaxy Macau is planning a Broadway.