Macau economy snaps a two-year economic contraction, thanks to the resurgence of gaming revenue in the former Portuguese enclave.

Recent data from the city’s Statistics and Census Service showed that Macau’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the July to September 2016 period accelerated by four percent, the first positive quarterly growth recorded over the past two years. The last time Macau chalked a positive GDP was in the second quarter of 2014 when the when the city’s economy expanded by 5.7 percent.

DSEC have attributed the rise to a rebound in both exports of services and investment. Gaming services in Macau are included in exports when calculating the city’s GDP.

“External demand showed improvement, leading to a pickup in exports of gaming services and exports of other tourism services, rising by 0.2 percent and 6.5 percent respectively year-on-year,” noted DSEC in yesterday’s statement.