This July 11, 2022 photo shows the famous Grand Lisboa, center, in Macao. (PHOTO / AP)

HONG KONG - Casino revenues in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), the world's biggest gambling hub, surged 366 percent from a year ago to total 15.6 billion patacas ($1.93 billion) in May, the highest since January 2020.

The monthly take was bolstered by a five-day national holiday that saw hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the SAR.

The latest Statistics and Census Service report showed that guests from the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong SAR jumped

Around 500,000 people visited the SAR during the five day Labour Day holiday at the start of May, crowding onto its pastel coloured streets surrounding historical sights Senado Square and the Ruins of St Paul's and packing its glitzy casinos operated by Sands China, Wynn Macau, MGM China, SJM Holdings, Galaxy Entertainment and Melco Resorts.

Sands last week officially opened its "Londoner" casino resort which includes a 6,000 seat arena and attractions like a replica of London's Big Ben clock tower.

It was the first big casino opening since the COVID pandemic and was attended by former England football captain David Beckham who drew scores of fans to the property.

The latest earnings were also 6 percent higher than the 14.7 billion patacas ($1.81 billion) generated in April. Since the start of the year, casino revenue has amounted to about 65 billion patacas($8.06 billion), nearly three times the 23.8 patacas billion ($2.9 billion) registered in the same period last year.

A total of 1,101,000 guests checked into Macao's hotel establishments in April, leaping 199.0 percent year on year, the SAR's statistics department said on Monday.

The latest Statistics and Census Service report showed that guests from the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong SAR jumped by 202.2 percent and 1,171.4 percent year on year to 739,000 and 254,000, respectively.