Gamble in Macau

Macau casinos have come a long way in the last century. The tiny former Portuguese colony spent many years as a down-at-the-heels backwater, with unglamorous gaming. But since 1999, when Macau became a special administrative region of China, Macau casinos have upgraded considerably. In fact, in 2007, Macau’s gambling revenue surpassed that of Las Vegas. 

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Most visitors are from Hong Kong – just a short ferry ride away – and mainland China, where gambling is illegal. But increasing numbers visit from around Asia and even farther to gamble marked cards the days and nights away. 
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Those who travel the world in search of big casinos definitely need to visit Macau. Here are a few of the notable ones: 
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The Lisboa 
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This original attempt at merging gaming and glamour set a trend for later Macau casinos. Back in the 1960s, casino entrepreneur Stanley Ho built the Lisboa. It still stands, but is now dwarfed by the nearby Grand Lisboa, Macau’s most iconic building. The Grand Lisboa is designed to resemble a giant lotus flower covered with a million flashing LEDs. Some people love it and others find it a vulgar monstrosity. At the Lisboa you can play craps, Texas hold’em, baccarat, roulette, and other games at more than 240 tables. On your way to the gaming floor, check out the art collection in the lobby. 
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The Venetian 
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The Venetian is a copy of the Las Vegas Venetian, which is a copy of Venice. You can ride a gondola in an indoor, sanitized version of a Venice canal. It also features an extensive shopping mall and fine dininng. Gamblers can choose from 139 different games, with 20 tables set aside for high rollers. The Venetian is especially popular with Indian tour groups. 
Galaxy 
The Galaxy is a gigantic complex that houses three separate properties: The Galaxy Hotel, the Banyan Tree and the Hotel Okura. The casino itself boasts 600 tables and 1,500 electronic gambling machines. 
While this doesn’t sound very family friendly, those who seek other things to do in Macau will find the Galaxy offers a lot to kids. A large children’s play area changes its décor with the seasons. The world’s largest rooftop wave pool is located atop the casino, which is as big as three football fields. Waves increase in size at different times of the day, with a maximum height of 1.5 meters. Guests can rent surfboards. The Galaxy also has four private 3-D movie theaters, ranging from about 16 to 60 seats. 
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If you really want to go upscale – and have the wallet to back you – live it up in one of the Galaxy’s private villas marked poker, complete with private swimming pools. 
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City of Dreams 
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Across from the Venetian, the City of Dreams is another multi-hotel property. Here you can sleep and gamble in the Hard Rock Hotel, Crown Towers and the Hyatt Macau. Together they share 550 gaming tables and 1500 machines. It’s easy to get lost in this giant, sprawling complex. If you like the rock and roll atmosphere, the Hard Rock is full of such ephemera as a famous rocker’s guitar here, a Ziggy Stardust costume there. The City of Dreams also has The Dancing Waters Show, the biggest spectacle of its kind in the world. So if you want access to other things to do in Macau besides gambling, this could be a good home base for your trip. 
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When you see the enthusiastic gamblers thronging casinos in Macau, you’ll understand how revenues have grown to be four times bigger than Vegas. As one local told me, “For Chinese, it’s natural to try your luck.” 

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