Gross revenues from all kinds of games in Macau were 74.596 billion patacas (US$9.3245 billion) in the first quarter of the year, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICI) has announced.

During the period, gross revenue from games of fortune or chance or in casinos was 74.314 billion patacas, meaning that greyhound and horse racing, Chinese and instant lotteries and sports lotteries with betting on football and basketball games generated gross revenue of only 282 million patacas.

In casinos, VIP baccarat and traditional baccarat provided gross revenue of 52.678 billion and 15.131 billion patacas respectively, together accounting for 67.809 billion patacas or 90% of total gross revenue earned by the gaming concessionaires.

Also in the games of fortune and chance, gross revenue from gaming machines ranks third, well behind baccarat, accounting for 3.306 billion patacas.

At the end of the third quarter of 2011 Macau counted 34 casinos and 6 concessionaires, with 20 pertaining to Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, 6 to Galaxy Casino, 3 to Venetian Macau, 3 to Melco Crown Jogos (Macau), 1 to Wynn Resorts (Macau) and 1 to MGM Grand Paradise.

The Sands Cotai Central opened on 11 April. This new project from the US gaming concessionaire Las Vegas Sands has two casinos, Himalaya and Pacifica, with about 400 gaming tables and 800 slot machines. (macauhub)