Macau: The World’s New Casino Capital

For several decades, Las Vegas was considered to be the world’s crown jewel when it came to gambling.  After all, Vegas has dozens of casinos, excellent entertainment options, and some of the best tourist sites in the world.  But in recent years, the Chinese territory of Macau is becoming a serious rival to Las Vegas.  In fact, many consider Macau to be the gambling capital of the world!  Here’s a closer look at the Asian gambling Mecca.

History of Macau

Macau’s humble roots date back to when it was a port for Portuguese traders who traveled to and from China.  By the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, this 11-mile strip of land began to evolve into somewhat of an entertainment zone (to put it mildly).  The lawless area saw unchecked opium usage, prostitution, and even slavery during this period.

Luckily, there was something better in store for Macau when casinos began opening up throughout the territory in 1937.  When Dr. Stanley Ho took over the Macau gambling scene in 1962, he furthered its reputation as a casino-capitol by setting up transportation routes from Hong Kong to Macau.  Soon, business was booming in Macau as numerous casinos dotted the landscape.

Macau Today

Even though Dr. Stanley Ho ushered in a new era in Macau, it was still riddled with high crime and a seedy reputation.  Luckily, things began to turn around for Macau when Portugal gave control back to the Chinese and gambling operations were opened up to outsiders.

Since these major changes, Macau has become the world’s number one gambling destination, and this special administrative area of China is now home to huge casinos and gambling halls.  Macau is so popular that many of the largest casinos in Las Vegas have decided to build casino in Macau as well.  The Wynn, Sands, MGM Grand, and the Venetian are just a few of the companies that have casinos in both Vegas and Macau.

Being able to attract big-name casinos has helped Macau earn more gaming revenue than any gambling destination on the planet.  In fact, Macau has even outperformed Las Vegas in total revenue since 2007, and this trend doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon because the area is making around $7 billion a year from gambling.

Macau Tourism

Until recent years, Macau has been known as a gaming center first, and tourist attraction second.  However, Macau’s government has worked hard to diversify the area’s economy so that it draws tourists from all walks of life.

Some of Macau’s most popular tourist attractions include Guia Fortress, A-Ma Temple, and Senado Square.  Senado Square is of particular interest since it’s a road full of wave-patterned, colored stones that’s perfect for pedestrians to travel on.

In addition to its great tourist attractions, Macau also benefits heavily from its close proximity to Hong Kong.  Macau is only 37 miles southwest from Hong Kong, which makes it a very attractive destination for the city’s 7 million residents.  And Macau has no doubt become an attractive place for anyone to visit.