The gambling market in the Southeast Asian (SEA) region will remain robust next year with the mass market providing the needed fuel in the region, international credit-debt watcher Fitch Ratings said.

In its latest not, Fitch has made a forecast that the SEA mass market segment will continue its stellar performance on the back of a strong Chinese tourism expenditure.

Chinese tourists with big pockets will remain to be the number one international visitor in the region, according to Fitch.

“Fitch believes Chinese tourism expenditure is a key driver of gaming performance in Southeast Asia. Chinese visitors were the largest segment by nationality in Singapore in the first eight months of 2017, at 19 percent of total arrivals,” Fitch senior director Alex Bumazhny said.