Macau 2011 Gambling Revenue Up 42%, At Record MOP267.87 Billion

Gambling revenue in Macau rose 25% in December from a year earlier, government statistics showed Tuesday, capping off a year of incredible growth fuelled by players from mainland China despite intensifying concerns about the effects of credit-tightening or an economic slowdown there.

Macau, the only place in China where casino gambling is legal, saw gambling revenue soar 42% in 2011 to a record MOP267.87 billion (US$33.47 billion). The Chinese territory remains the largest gambling center in the world, with that figure over five times the size of the individual hauls analysts forecast the Las Vegas Strip and new Asian rival Singapore to record in 2011.

Revenue growth has been on a tear since the end of 2009 as players have continued to place bets regardless of China's tightening measures and local government policies aimed at slowing growth to a more measured pace.

Gambling revenue in the Chinese territory rose to MOP23.61 billion in December, up from MOP18.88 billion a year earlier, according to data from Macau's Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.

-By Kate O'Keeffe, Dow Jones Newswires; 852-2802-7002; [e-mail]