Macau casinos reported much stronger growth in mass market gaming than in the VIP segment in the third quarter of 2018, according to government figures.

On Tuesday, Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) published its official stats for the three months ending September 30, which showed combined gross gaming revenue from all activities in Macau of MOP74.1b (US$9.2b), a 10.2% rise over the same period last year. For the year-to-date, gaming revenue is up nearly 16% to MOP224.9b ($27.86b).

VIP baccarat revenue totaled nearly MOP40.1b in Q3 2018, up a modest 3.6% year-on-year, while mass market baccarat was up 21.5% to nearly MOP25.4b. This represents a stark reversal from Q3 2017, which saw VIP baccarat rise 35% to MOP38.7b while mass market baccarat managed to rise only 7% to MOP20.9b.

Slots revenue improved by 9% to MOP3.5b, which, if incorporated into the mass market gaming segment along with other lesser gaming products, brings overall mass market revenue to nearly MOP33.7b, a 19.2% year-on-year gain.