The Grand Waldo Casino, the 21th casino in Macao, started operation here on Monday, a region with a population of 480,000.

The gaming facility is located in the region's Cotai area, the first of its kind outside the Macao Peninsula, the city's crowded and prosperous center.

The casino, boasting 24 VIP lounges and 101 regular gaming tables, was the 4th casino invested in Macao by the Hong Kong-based Galaxy Entertainment Group.

Macao has a 150-year history of gaming industry and is the only part of China where casino gaming is legitimate.

The gross receipts of the region's previous 20 casinos reached 46.1 billion patacas (US$5.76 billion) in 2005, up 8.2 percent over 2004, according to official statistics issued earlier this year.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2006)