Macau Casino History
Macau, a special administrative region like Hong Kong, is the only place in China where casinos are legal, and the business has grown at an astounding pace since the government ended the four. Rules at Macau's casinos have mellowed considerably since the arrival of American casinos to the territory. The likes of the Wynn and The Venetian have become entertainment palaces, rather than just gambling dens, relaxing their rules and their dress codes in the process.
- Macau Casino History Site
- Macau Casino History Hotel
- Macau Casino History Game
- Macau Casino History Map
- Macau Casino History Facts
Macau is China’s answer to Las Vegas. But the former Portuguese colony has long surpassed the City of Lights as the world’s casino capital, with revenue from gambling receipts exceeding the entire state of Nevada back in 2010. As well as drawing in the punters, it has the glittering architecture to match.
The story of Macau is one of globalisation and the rise of China. It is a globalisation story because of the role played by foreign multinational casino companies. And it is a story of the rise of China because it has been the economic prosperity of its citizens that has allowed them in great numbers to travel, see the world, and gamble.
Macau returned to Chinese rule in 1999 as a special administrative region, which means it has different laws to the mainland. It is the only part of Greater China (which includes China, Hong Kong and Macau) where gambling is legal, making it the country’s sole gambling destination.
In the years before the 1999 handover, the environment in Macau was fraught, with organised crime a violent presence competing for access to the sub-contracted VIP gaming rooms. These VIP rooms, which host high stake games in a private setting, are another dynamic behind Macau’s success. They made the Macau gambling experience different from that of other casino destinations.
Macau Casino History Site
History “Macau gamblers play passionately – even at baccarat, where the only decisions to make are how much to bet and what to bet on (banker, player or tie). With excruciating drama, they slowly bend each card to see its numerical value. They shout with happiness or yell in disgust before showing their cards. Grand Macao Casino launched in 2008 as one of several NetAd Management casinos. Affactive Media was the affiliate program for the site. The online casino was one of several websites owned by NetAd Management, a company which claimed to be based and licensed in Curacao.
Macau’s focus on high-spending customers, with private rooms and special privileges – rather than mass market gamblers – is the source of much of the casinos’ revenue. Casinos were originally built around VIP rooms. These were sub-contracted to gambling promoters who shared in the profits from bringing in wealthy gamblers. These high rollers made up 66% of total casino revenues in 2013.
International investment
Casino operations generate substantial tax revenue for the government: in 2001 it was 40% of all tax revenue collected. Ten years later, government income from casino gaming taxes amounted to 81% of all tax revenue collected. This massive change is the result of the decision to open up the casino industry and invite foreign firms to compete for a casino license.
Until 2001, only one company was licensed to operate casinos and for four decades this was monopolised by a company called Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau, SA (STDM). From 2002, casino licences were awarded to several foreign multinational firms and joint ventures. This included big firms from Australia, Hong Kong and the US, with recognisable names from Vegas, such as Las Vegas Sands, MGM, Galaxy and Wynn Resorts.
They invested heavily in big new casino resort complexes, with luxury hotels and high-end shopping malls. Given Macau’s tiny size – it originally consisted of a mainland peninsula and two small islands measuring 11.6 square kilometres in 1912 – land reclamation projects were necessary to host the burgeoning industry. By 2010, the territory measured 29.7 square kilometres, including six square kilometres of new land connecting the small islands of Coloane to Taipa, which plays host to the big casino complexes.
These new casinos have provided some employment opportunities for local citizens, but the greater impact for the economy has been the tourist visitor numbers and the tax revenue generated. After a decade of ever-increasing growth in gaming revenue with the opening of new casinos, tax revenue from the sector peaked in 2014 and then declined after China’s president, Xi Jinping instituted a widespread anti-corruption campaign.
The VIP gaming rooms in Macau became seen by the government in Beijing as a massive leakage of capital from the Chinese economy. A large part of the big money being gambled by these VIPs was seen as the proceeds of corruption and bribery on the mainland.
In 2014, gaming tax revenue provided 84% of the Macau government’s total revenue; by 2017 it had declined to 79%. But these percentages conceal the decline in the actual amount available to the government, from US$20.1 billion in 2014 to US$15.7 billion in 2017. This is because a number of Chinese elites eschewed Macau’s casinos to avoid scrutiny during Xi’s corruption crackdown.
Casino revenue now appears to have stabilised, helped by a move in Macau away from relying on the VIP sector and towards mass market entertainment. The government has also encouraged diversification beyond the casino gaming room and, like Las Vegas, it is looking to attract exhibitions and events to be held there.
Macau Casino History Hotel
The new bridge connecting Macau with Hong Kong should support increasing tourist visits by easing travel to the territory, further supporting diversification. But Macau must increasingly contend with neighbouring rivals. The anti-corruption campaign encouraged Chinese gamblers to visit other Asian casino destinations, including new resorts in Singapore and Manila in the Philippines.
Modern Macau is built on China’s rise and the increased wealth of its citizens that this has brought. Macau’s continued success is contingent on its ability to attract the mass market gambler, along with other tourists, as a vacation destination. As China’s middle class continues to grow, it should guarantee a steady supply for years to come.
As far as casinos in Asia are concerned, there are few people who think of anyplace other than Macau. Though most people simply refer to the region and city as “Macau,” the official name as given by the Chinese government is Macau Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Though it may be a bit confusing, Macau is an autonomous region (meaning they self-govern) that exists within, and is owned by, the country of China.
As a special administrative region, the rules governing Macau are just slightly different than those governing the rest of mainland China. Chief amongst those differences is the fact the gambling is allowed freely. In the following sections, we will discuss the ins and outs of what make Macau so special, and introduce you to the gambling landscape that dominates the region.
Macau Casinos
Casino Lisboa
Casa Real Casino
Grandview Casino
Casino Macau Palace
Altira Macau
Jai Alai Casino
Kam Pek Casino
Kingsway Hotel & Casino
Grand Lapa Hotel
Mocha Clubs
New Century Hotel & Casino
The Legend Club
Sands Macau
Golden Dragon Casino
Greek Mythology Casino
MGM Macau
Wynn Macau
The Venetian Macau, Cotai Strip
Babylon Casino
Casino Crystal Palace at Hotel Lisboa
Diamond Casino at Holiday Inn
Emperor Palace Casino
Fortuna Casino
Galaxy Rio Casino
Galaxy Starworld
Galaxy Waldo Hotel and Casino
Pharaoh’s Palace Casino
Ponte 16
Casino Marina at Taipa
Crown Casino Taipa
MJC Casino Taipa
City of Dreams
Galaxy Cotai Mega Resort
Galaxy Grand Waldo
Casino Oceanus
Macau Casino Resorts
Just about all of the casinos in Macau are of the same variety. All of them are privately owned and operated. What’s more, a large majority of them are much more than a casino. The casino resorts located all over Macau rival the ones you will find in places like Atlantic City and Las Vegas. These massive casinos are complemented by amenities such as premium shopping, world class entertainment, and some of the best dining in Southeast Asia. New places are popping up all the time, and they are all state of the art.
With all of this being said, there are a few Macau casinos that strictly exist as a casino; there is no hotel attached.
As you can clearly see, the way in which casinos exist in Macau is significantly different than the way they exist in the United States. Rather than categories like riverboat or Native American casinos, the industry is strictly run and controlled by private interest. With that being said, there are plenty of times where the government of China intervenes in gambling operations in one form or another.
Macau Casino History
The gambling history and casino history of Macau really began to take shape back in 1850. During this time, the region was still controlled by Portuguese colonists. At that time, and in an effort to generate further revenues for the region, the ruling government decided to officially legalize gambling in its myriad forms.
Macau Casino History Game
In the early days, the Portuguese law allowed for Chinese gambling houses to exist so long as they paid an annual tax. Within a year, there were more than 250 gambling houses located across the region. Things went along like the for decades, but in the 1950s and 60s it was quickly realized that something would need to chance if Macau would ever stand a fighting chance against global gambling destinations like Las Vegas and Monte Carlo.
Quickly, there was substantial efforts put into modernizing the gambling facilities that existed as well as creating new, state of the art gambling facilities. It wasn’t only the gambling facilities the received a facelift, as the whole transportation in and out of the region was revamped as to accommodate foreign travelers as opposed to accommodating somewhat local regulars.
Despite Macau being handed over by Portugal to the People’s Republic of China, there were no changes made to the gambling industry. This was something that caught a lot of people by surprise simply because China is not so casino-friendly.
Macau Casino History Map
Shortly after the 1999 handover of the region, the government of China granted a plethora of foreign operators rights to build and operate casinos of their own in Macau. At this point, Macau went from being a gambling destination known to few, to a gambling destination known the world over. With names like MGM and Wynn entering the market in the early 2000s, they brought along with them a whole lot of attention. Since then, the number of casinos in the region has grown and so too have revenues. As we go forward, it will be interesting to see how the Macau casino industry can keep up seeing that there are plenty of other Asian countries and regions who are on the verge of introducing legalized gambling destinations of their own.