Income from inward direct investments in gambling in Macau reached MOP37.9 billion ($4.7 billion) in 2017, a year-on-year increase of 34.5%, according to the city’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

Total income from inward investments for the special administrative region was MOP 58.6 billion ($7.2 billion), with the gambling sector constituting 64.5%.

According to the DSEC, the performance of the gambling sector was a reversal from previous years, where its income had declined 6.4% in 2016 and 47.5% in 2015.

The agency also reported that total equity capital of enterprises with inward direct investment in Macau was MOP20.2 billion ($2.5 billion), of which MOP6 billion ($741.5 million) or 29.7% was from gambling. Of the capital from gambling, MOP4.1 billion ($505.7 million) or 68.2% came from foreign investors.