Starworld Hotel & Casino, the 23rd casino in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), opened on Thursday.

The casino complex, located in downtown Macao, features 300 gaming tables, 371 slot machines and VIP rooms.

The hotel section boasts 507 guest rooms and suites, 18 dining venues specializing in big variety of western and Chinese styles and luxury boutiques.

Macao, with a population of over 500,000, has a 150-year history of gaming industry and is the only part of China where casino gaming is legitimate.

Direct tax paid by the casinos dominates over 70 percent of the MSAR government's yearly revenue.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2006)