The government of the Macao Special Administrative Region has
collected 9.3 billion patacas (US$1.16 billion) in direct gaming
taxes in the first half of the year, a year-on-year rise of 14.7
percent.
The statistics issued Wednesday by the Finance Services Bureau
(FSB) showed that the gaming taxes accounted for 75 percent of the
government total revenue in the period.
Macao's direct gaming taxes reached a record 16.56 billion
patacas (US$2.07 billion) in 2005, a year-on-year rise of 12
percent, according to official statistics issued earlier this
year.
Macao's 21 casinos pay 35 percent of their gross receipts as
direct tax to the government.
The region, with a population of nearly 500,000, has a 150-year
history of gaming industry and is the only part of China where
casino gaming is legitimate.
(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2006)
