MACAO, October 16 (Xinhua) -- Macao's gaming and betting industry logged gross receipts of 34.71 billion patacas (US$4.34 billion) in the first eight months, a year-on-year rise of 12.6 percent.

The statistics issued Monday by the government-run Statistics and Census Service (SCS) showed that in August alone, the gaming and betting business recorded gross receipts of 4.67 billion patacas (US$584 million), setting a new monthly record.

The previous monthly record stood at 4.62 billion patacas (US$578 million) in this March.

Macao's 22 casinos pay 35 percent of their gross receipts as direct tax to the government.

The region, with a population of over 500,000, has a 150-year history of gaming industry and is the only part of China where casino gaming is legitimate.