The gross receipts of Macao's 21 casinos are expected to reach 50 billion patacas (US$6.25 billion) in 2006, a new record high, local media reported Wednesday.

The Macao Post Daily quoted Manuel das Neves, director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, as saying that the year- on-year casino receipts growth will surpass 10 percent.

The total casino gross receipts stood at 44.72 billion patacas (US$5.59 billion) in 2005, up 8.2 percent over the previous year, according to official statistics issued earlier this year.