Macau casinos reported nearly equal growth in both VIP and mass market gaming in the first quarter of 2018, putting the market on solid footing for further growth this year.

Figures released Monday by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) show total casino gaming revenue of MOP 76.5b (US$9.46b) in the three months ending March 31. That’s 20.5% higher than the same period last year, and nearly 6% higher than the MOP 72.3b recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017.

VIP gaming revenue was up 21% to just under MOP 43b, representing a 52.6% share of the overall market, roughly on par with Q417’s share. Overall mass market revenue (counting slot machines) was up 19.9% year-on-year to MOP 33.5b.

Union Gaming analyst Grant Govertsen called the figures “good news on dual fronts,” noting that VIP growth “remains strong yet not sky high,” which he said was both more sustainable from a business perspective and less likely to attract unwanted political attention from the inquiring minds in Beijing.