Move over Las Vegas, move over Monte Carlo. Macau, a special administrative region of China, is now the world’s gambling capital. Macau is very close to Hong Kong. How big is gambling here?
Consider this… Venetian Macau, which is now the world’s #1 casino, has 546,000 sq. feet of space for playing. It’s named after the Vegas Venetian and a complete replica of the original. But the original Vegas version only has a 120,000 sq. feet floor space. That’s how big Venetian Macau is. In excess of 110,000 gamers come to the Macau Venetian when the Chinese celebrate their New Year.
You will rarely find more games anywhere else, except for the online gaming websites like the Mr. Bet NZ friendly casino.
Many people come to Macau only for Online Cricket Betting ID gaming. Of course, is in itself a tourist destination with several attractions worth visiting.
- At the historic center, you can see how European architecture blends with Asia.
- See the Guia Fort and Lighthouse, which used to be a port once during the Portuguese times. You will get panoramic views from here.
- Go to the Fisherman’s Wharf in evening and explore the shops and restaurants. This is a beautiful theme park with sections modeled after many port towns – Amsterdam, Cape Town, Lisbon, and New Orleans.
- The A-Ma Temple is a part of the UNESCO Historic Center of Macau.
- Spend time at the Senado Square. See the old buildings and appreciate the colonial Portuguese architecture.
- See the Macau Museum, The Maritime Museum, and the Taipa House.
- If you are traveling with kids, then the Giant Panda Pavilion is a must-visit. There are playgrounds, gardens, and koi ponds here.
Of course, many of the casinos have also emerged as tourist destinations, even for those who are not into casino gaming or play only for the experience. The Venetian Macau, with its canals and gondolas is at the forefront of this.
The Transformation of Macau
Not just this property, there are many other huge casinos in Macau. Together, they have generated more money than many small countries. These casinos have changed Macau’s economy. Once a Portuguese colony, Macau felt into disarray with organized crime ruling the streets. China took control in 1999. The military was allowed to come in and fix all the crime and clean up everything. Gambling is not legal in the mainland, but the Chinese people and others can come to Macau and gamble.
It all started to change when China announced that Macau would be a Special Administrative Region and gambling was legalized here.
Now, you will find the world’s largest rooms for gambling and highest money stakes here, which attracts high rollers from everywhere. There are hundreds and thousands of games, much more than anyone can play in a lifetime.
The casinos make their money mostly from private rooms. Those who are high rollers are also offered many special privileges. In fact, almost 70% of the revenues here come from big spenders.
How to Reach Macau
Macau is just across the bay from Hong Kong. There was a time when most tourists came to Macau from Hong Kong. But now it has become a hub for budget airlines. Many now come here directly without going to Hong Kong, particularly those keen about gaming.
From Hong Kong, traditionally, you had to take the ferry to reach Macau. But now there’s a bridge connecting the two. This means, you can catch a bus or taxi. There are shuttle buses 24 hours a day.
Macau Is 4 Times Bigger Than Las Vegas
Such is the growth that Macau has emerged four times bigger than Las Vegas. Now that’s an achievement. In fact, Reuters reported in 2019 June that the casinos here together earned $3 billion plus revenues in the year’s first 5 months. That too was below the expectations. Read here for a comparison between Vegas and Macau.
The Largest Macau Casinos
- Venetian Macau – 546,000 sq. feet
- City of Dreams – 420,000 sq. feet
- Wynn Macau – 273,000 sq. feet
- Ponte 16 – 270,000 sq. feet
- Sands Macau – 229,000 sq. feet
Other large casinos here include Casino Lisboa, Altira Macau, Greek Mythology, Golden Dragon, Galaxy Starworld, and Crown Casino.
Venetian is particularly attractive not only because it’s the biggest. It has canals like Venice with floating gondolas. There’s a replica of St Mark’s Square here and plenty of shopping, dining, entertainment options that attracts tourists from everywhere.
Casino gambling has become a huge industry. It is worth billions of dollars now. There are brick-and-mortar casinos, cruise casinos, as well as internet casinos. Play online slots real money NZ and from anywhere. Most gamers are now playing online as it offers many conveniences.
But Macau is an exception and a hope the land-based gaming houses may find a way to survive after all. They are not just surviving here, but actually becoming bigger and better. The casinos in Macau are earning more money with every passing year.
