Casinos in Macau: peculiarities of Asian gambling

Asian gambling market is growing intensively. It accounts for 43.4% of world gambling profits, and the total investment in gambling in the region, according to Union Gaming Securities Asia Ltd. Macau in China has been the largest gambling zone in this part of the world for a decade and a half.

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The gambling business is prohibited in China. Residents of the country can only play the lottery. All other entertainments are allowed in special territories - Hong Kong and Macau. And if in Hong Kong you can only play mahjong and bet on sporting events, Macau is rightfully considered to be the Asian Las Vegas.

In the administrative district with a total area of only 30 square kilometers, there are 39 institutions. The most famous are The Venetian, City of Dreams, Ponte 16. Annual revenue of the gaming zone exceeds $30 billion. There are comfortable conditions for players, and the highrollers are attracted by the absence of tax on winnings.

Chinese casinos

Casinos deduct 35-40% of profits to the budget

In 2019, the gambling industry brought 80.5% of all tax revenue to Macau's budget, which amounted to more than $11.28 billion. Operators Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited and SJM Holdings Limited paid 35% of the total tax revenue.

History of the development of the gaming zone

The PRC Special Administrative Region is located on the coast of the South China Sea, occupying a small peninsula and several islands. From 1557 to 1999 this territory was a Portuguese colony, and for many years there were the laws of the European monarchy. Gambling entertainment in Macau was legalized in 1847, that is, more than half a century before the appearance of Las Vegas. Since 1962, the local authorities began issuing licenses for gambling. Hong Kong billionaire Stanley Ho, head of the Sociedade de Turismo e Diverses de Macau (STDM) syndicate, got the monopoly rights.

When the administrative region was taken over by China in 1999, the gambling policy remained the same. The STDM's monopoly expired in 2002, when the authorities opened the gambling market to a small number of foreign investors.

Gambling is regulated by local authorities and auxiliary industry organizations. The legislative basis - Macau Gaming Law and a number of specifying acts concerning the credit of operators, receiving commissions by promoters, etc.

The first foreigners to open their own casinos in the PRC were Las Vegas Sands Corporation owner Sheldon Adelson and Wynn Resorts head Steve Wynn. At the expense of sublicenses have appeared three other major players: Sociedade de Jogos de Macau - a subsidiary of STDM, Galaxy Entertainment Group, MGM. Stanley Ho, who owns most of the venues, holds key positions.

Night City

Land of Macau began to actively build up gambling establishments since the early 2000s.

Licenses for foreign casinos expire in 2020 and 2022. American tycoon Steve Wynn, even before his retirement from Wynn Resorts, said that he was confident in the continuation of the corporation in Macau after the expiration of contracts.

Asian gambling culture

The rules in place in the gaming zone are different from those in other parts of the world. This is especially striking to foreign tourists. American Spencer Music, a journalist for several years working in China, in his articles often talked about the peculiarities of local gambling:

No photography or videotaping is allowed. You can't even take a smartphone picture of the slot machine with the jackpot.
Drinks are offered to customers, but the extensive appetizer menu is only available in the VIP areas. The Lisboa Hotel Casino only has tea or coffee, and at the MGM and Wynn operator's establishments, you can ask for a free beer.
The Chinese do not drink while playing, but tourists are free to consume alcohol.
There are many security personnel in the halls, there is constant video surveillance, and artificial intelligence is used for identification. Any violations are detected quickly.

Security requirements are strictly enforced in the casino

Previously, smoking was not allowed in most casinos. This caused serious discontent on the part of both operators and visitors. In 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Health allowed smoking in special rooms in most casinos. In February 2020, due to the spread of the coronavirus, a restriction was imposed on casinos after a two-week break: the Bureau of Gaming Supervision and Control (DICJ) required all guests and employees of the establishments to wear medical masks.