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China curbs hit Macau casinos
Bill Condie6 Oct 2008
Macau, which this year overtook Las Vegas as the world's biggest gambling centre, has been hit by Chinese laws restricting mainland visitors to the former Portuguese colony.
The territory's casino revenue fell for the first time in almost three years last month, according to Portuguese news agency Lusa.
Monthly revenue in September dropped 3.4% from a year earlier to 6.9 billion patacas (£486.5 million) and was 28% lower than the previous month.
Tourist arrivals in Macau have shrunk since Beijing tightened travel restrictions from 1 September. Chinese travelling to Hong Kong must now apply for a separate permit to enter Macau.
Gambling has been an important industry to Macau since it was legalised in the 1850s. The territory now has 28 casinos.
The casino industry was controlled for 39 years by a monopoly owned by Stanley Ho but was opened up in 2001 when licences were offered to other casino operators.
