Casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment (MCE) posted a 13% revenue gain in the final quarter of 2016, adding to the momentum behind the overall Macau market’s recovery.

MCE reported revenue of $1.192b in the three months ending December 31, up 13% from Q4 2015. Operating income totaled $116m versus a loss of $17.8m the year before – a period weighed down by opening costs of MCE’s Studio City resort in Macau – while net income totaled $43.3m versus a loss of $12.3m.

Studio City’s performance to date had been underwhelming but MCE CEO Lawrence Ho credited the property with goosing Q4’s numbers. Studio City’s net revenue nearly doubled year-on-year to $246m –the property was only open for two-thirds of Q4 2015 – and its mass market revenue was up 10% from Q3 2016.

Studio City began life as a purely mass-focused venue, but its sluggish start prompted MCE to add a VIP component that got underway in November. VIP turnover hit $1.3b in Q4 but win was spectacularly unlucky at 1.4%, less than half the theoretical 2.85% rate.