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Macau’s integrated resorts are steadily raising the bar in baccarat innovation, with Citigroup’s latest premium gaming analysis unveiling an industry pivot—one driven by the rise of “Big/Small 7” side bets and the growing adoption of smart-table technology.

According to Citi analysts George Choi and Timothy Chau, this new “Big/Small 7” side bet offers players a distinct choice: a call on whether the Lucky 7–winning hand consists of two cards or three. Operators like Melco, MGM, and Wynn have taken a “less is more” approach by removing conventional Lucky 6 and Lucky 7 side bets, instead keeping Big/Small 6, Super Lucky 7, and adding Big/Small 7. Sands and Galaxy, by contrast, have gone “all‑in,” retaining the full suite of side bet options alongside the new addition. Citi projects both strategies will likely yield long-term success.

This evolution is rooted in the transformational impact of smart tables. These tables—equipped with RFID and real-time analytics—have fueled a generational shift: side bets now represent roughly 45%–50% of Macau baccarat revenues, despite accounting for just about 5% of turnover. As Clayton Peister of Differential Labs observed at the May 2025 G2E Asia conference:

“These transactional level results help us understand the player in a much more effective way so we can program what we’re offering... side bets ... account for 5 % of turnover but 45 % to 50 % of revenue.” 

Citi has also linked this innovation to its broader market forecasts. Smart-table efficiencies and smartly deployed side bets are part of the bank’s basis for expecting a 7% year‑on‑year rise in Macau GGR for 2025, potentially even underestimating the upside. Analysts noted that a player dedicating just 10% of their wager to Lucky 6 can be worth 125.5% more in terms of theoretical value. 

In sum, Macau’s baccarat side-bet landscape is undergoing a radical transformation. Executives are no longer hesitant to experiment with higher-edge bets—confident that smart-table data infrastructure enables precise tracking, efficient roll-out, and the ability to identify who contributes the most to hold rates. Citi underscores that while traditional metrics like player count and bet size remain critical, it’s side-bet creativity—powered by technological insight—that could deliver the next leap in gross gaming revenue.