MACAU'S gaming tax revenue leaped 62.3 percent in January over last year, according to the data released by the city's Finance Services Bureau.

The data showed the taxes accounted for 85.9 percent of Macau's total receipts in January.

The total revenue of the city in January rose 61.3 percent to 8.06 billion patacas (US$1 billion), while its total expenditure jumped 225.3 percent to 1.71 billion patacas.

Under Macau's law, casinos should pay 35 percent of their gross revenues as direct tax to the government.