MACAO -- Macao's gaming revenues in the third quarter this year went up 0.22 percent quarter-on-quarter to 74.58 billion patacas ($9.32 billion), according to the latest data released by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

The date indicated that Macao's gross gaming revenues for the first nine months this year increased by 14.9 percent year-on-year to 223.31 billion patacas, accounting for 83.0 percent of the total gaming revenues last year.

The gaming revenue for September this year stood at 23.87 billion patacas, down 8.7 percent month-on-month with a decrease of tourists, but up 12.3 percent compared with the previous year.

Being the only place in China where gambling is legal, there were 35 casinos with 5,498 gaming tables and 17,029 slot machines in the city by the end of the third quarter this year, according to the official figures.