With the entry of large foreign casinos from Las Vegas and Australia, Macau overtook the Las Vegas Strip in gambling revenues in 2007.
Visitors are largely from mainland China and Hong Kong. Gambling tourism is Macau's biggest source of revenue, making up about 50% of the economy. It is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal. Since then, Macau has become known worldwide as the 'Gambling capital of the world'. Gambling in Macau has been legal since the 1850s when the Portuguese government legalised the activity in the autonomous colony.
