Gambling in Macau
Encyclopedia
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
government legalized the activity in the colony. Since then, Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
has become known worldwide as the "Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
of the Orient".
Gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
tourism is Macau's biggest source of revenue, making up about 50% of the economy
Economy of Macau
The economy of Macau has remained one of the most open in the world since its reversion to China in 1999. Apparel exports and gambling-related tourism are mainstays of the economy. Since Macau has little arable land and few natural resources, it depends on mainland China for most of its food, fresh...
. Visitors are made up largely of Chinese nationals from the mainland
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. With the entry of large foreign casinos from Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Macau overtook the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
in gaming revenues in 2007.
Until Western-style casino games were introduced in the 20th century, only Chinese games were played, the most popular being Fan-Tan
Fan-Tan
Fan-Tan, or fantan is a form of gambling game long played in China. It has similarities to roulette.-History:Fan-tan is no longer as popular as it once was, having been replaced by modern casino games, and other traditional Chinese games such as Mah Jong and Pai Gow. However, it was once a...
. Generally, gambling in Macau can be divided into three different categories: casino games, horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
. There is also sports betting and a number of lotteries. At the present time, Macau does not license online gaming operations.
History
In an attempt to generate revenues for the government, gambling in Macau was legalized in 1847. In the late 19th century, the government introduced a licensing system for the fantan houses (Chinese gambling houses). It is reported that over 200 gambling houses were required to pay gambling rent to the government. The first casino monopoly concession was granted to the Tai Xing Company in 1937. The company was, however, too conservative to fully exploit the economic potential of gambling. The industry saw a major breakthrough in 1962 when the government granted the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de MacauSociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau
The Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau, SA is a company in Macau owned by Stanley Ho and his family. Historically it held a monopoly to Macau's gambling industry as the only licensee for casinos. In 2002, the Macau government began issuing more licenses and the monopoly was broken...
(STDM), a syndicate jointly formed by Hong Kong and Macau businessmen, the monopoly rights to all forms of gambling. The STDM introduced western-style games and modernized the marine transport between Macau and Hong Kong, bringing millions of gamblers from Hong Kong every year. The license was extended in 1986 for another 15 years but expired at the end of 2001.
Macau seceded from the Portuguese in 1999 and became part of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. During this transition, there were no changes to gambling policy in Macau.
In 2002, the Macau government ended the monopoly system and 3 (later 6) casino operating concessions (and subconcessions) are granted to Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM, an 80% owned subsidiary of STDM), Wynn Resorts
Wynn Resorts
Wynn Resorts Limited is a publicly traded corporation based in Paradise, Nevada that is a developer and operator of high end hotels and casinos. It was formed on October 25, 2002 by former Mirage Resorts Chairman and CEO Stephen A...
, Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an integrated resort company based in Paradise, Nevada, USA.-History:Founded in 1988, the company was the owner and operator of the Sands Hotel, which was demolished in 1996 to make room for The Venetian, which opened in 1999....
, Galaxy Entertainment Group, the partnership of MGM Mirage
MGM Mirage
Not to be confused with the Las Vegas, Nevada based casino/resort operator Resorts International Holdings.MGM Resorts International is a Paradise, Nevada based corporation that brands itself as a global hospitality company. It is the second largest gaming company in the world by revenue - about...
and Pansy Ho Chiu-king, and the partnership of Melco and PBL. Today, there are 16 casinos operated by the STDM, and they are still crucial in the casino industry in Macau, but in 2004, the opening of the Sands Macau
Sands Macau
Sands Macao is a casino resort located in Macau Peninsula, Macau. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, and was designed by Steelman Partners, LLP...
ushered in the new era.
Economic aspects
The so-called "Monte CarloMonte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
of the Orient," Macau's economy relies heavily on gambling. Nowadays, the gambling industry generates over 40% of the GDP
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
of Macau. Since the early 1960s, around 50% of Macau's official revenue has been driven by gambling. The percentage remained steady until the late 1990s. In 1998, 44.5% of total government revenue was produced by the direct tax on gambling. Then there was a 9.1% decrease in 1999, probably due to internet gaming. After the handover of the Macau from Portugal to China, the SAR released gambling licenses to other companies in order to eliminate the monopoly played by the STDM. In 2002, the government signed concession contracts with two Macau gaming companies, Wynn Resort Ltd. and Galaxy Casino. This opened the gambling market for competition and increased government tax revenue significantly. It also attracted more tourists to Macau. At this moment, according to official statistics, gambling taxes form 70% of Macau's government income.
However, the gambling industry is also a source of instability in the Macau economy, as the nature of gambling business is not susceptible to technological advancement or productivity growth. The gambling business is still dependent on the prosperity of other Asian economies, especially that of Hong Kong.
Gaming policy
Detailed law is enforced in Macau to ensure "qualified operation of gambling" in Macau. The details are listed in Law 16/2001 (regime jurídico da exploração de jogos de fortuna ou azar em casino), and other laws regulating the activity of gaming promoters and credit for gaming.The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (known as DICJ) is the main government unit that oversees the operation of different gaming activities.
Under Macau law, it stated that a permit issued by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau is required for the operation of lotteries sales, lucky draw or similar activities, and the initial procedure in the application on the operation of lotteries sales, lucky draw or similar activities is to submit a notification to the relevant government department 10 days prior to the application.
Casinos
Macau has 33 casinos, of which the biggest is The Venetian Macau. 23 casinos are located on the Macau PeninsulaMacau Peninsula
Macau Peninsula is the oldest and most populous part of Macau. It has an area of 8.5 km² and is geographically connected to Guandong province, at the northeast, through an isthmus 200-metre wide. The peninsula, together with the city centre of Zhuhai, sits on an island separated from the...
and 10 casinos on Taipa Island. They all operate under a government franchise and under a common set of rules.
Many forms of gambling are legal there, such as blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
, baccarat
Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game, played at casinos and by gamblers. It is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of King Charles VIII , and it is similar to Faro and Basset...
, roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
, boule
Boule
The term Boule may refer to:* Boule , plural boulai, an assembly forming part of city governments in Ancient Greece* Boule , a block of synthetically produced crystal material...
, Sic bo
Sic bo
Sic bo , also known as tai sai , dai siu , big and small or hi-lo, is an unequal game of chance played with three dice, and of ancient Chinese origin. Grand hazard and chuck-a-luck are variants, and of English origin...
, Fan Tan, keno
Keno
Keno is a lottery or bingo gambling game often played at modern casinos, and is also offered as a game in some state lotteries. A traditional live casino keno game uses a circular glass enclosure called a "bubble" containing 80 balls which determine the ball draw result. Each ball is imprinted...
and slot machines.
Poker was introduced only in August 2007, in an electronic table format at Galaxy Starworld casino. The first live poker tournament was the Asia Pacific Poker Tour
Asia Pacific Poker Tour
The Asia Pacific Poker Tour started in 2007 and is the first major poker tour in this region. Like its counterparts, the European Poker Tour, Latin American Poker Tour, and North American Poker Tour, it is sponsored by PokerStars. The tour was created by President Jeffrey Haas and Director of...
Macau event in November 2007. Shortly thereafter, in January 2008, the government of Macau published the official rules for Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
poker games in Macau. In February 2008, Grand Lisboa
Grand Lisboa
Grand Lisboa is a 58-floor tall hotel in Macau, owned by Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau and designed by Hong Kong architects Dennis Lau and Ng Chun Man. Its casino and restaurants were opened on February 11, 2007, while the hotel was opened in December 2008. The casino offers 800 mass...
Casino added the first live-dealer cash game tables in Macau. In May 2008, 'PokerStars
PokerStars
PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world. PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker. 1983 champion Tom McEvoy, 2005 champion Joe Hachem, 2009 champion Joe Cada and 2010 champion Jonathan Duhamel and others also represent...
Macau' opened at Grand Waldo Casino. In November 2008, Texas Holdem' Poker opened at Wynn Macau and the "Learn to Play" table is available. 'PokerStars
PokerStars
PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world. PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker. 1983 champion Tom McEvoy, 2005 champion Joe Hachem, 2009 champion Joe Cada and 2010 champion Jonathan Duhamel and others also represent...
Macau' moved to a new location at the Grand Lisboa Casino in March 2009. Today, Wynn Macau, Venetian, Hard Rock Casino , StarWorld and Grand Lisboa Casinos offer live-dealer cash game poker tables, and only Grand Lisboa Casino has live poker tournaments every weekend.
Gambling has been legal in Macau for a long time beginning in 1851 where there was a licensing system for gambling houses until 1863. Beginning in 1934, casinos' ownership and operation was centralized where through private negotiations, some franchises monopolized the operation right of all casinos. The casino industry has been controlled by the STDM monopoly for 39 years but, this changed in 2001 when casino licenses were offered to other casino operators, including American companies such as Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an integrated resort company based in Paradise, Nevada, USA.-History:Founded in 1988, the company was the owner and operator of the Sands Hotel, which was demolished in 1996 to make room for The Venetian, which opened in 1999....
(Sheldon Adelson
Sheldon Adelson
Sheldon Gary Adelson is an American casino magnate. Adelson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited which operates The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center...
) and Wynn Resorts
Wynn Resorts
Wynn Resorts Limited is a publicly traded corporation based in Paradise, Nevada that is a developer and operator of high end hotels and casinos. It was formed on October 25, 2002 by former Mirage Resorts Chairman and CEO Stephen A...
(Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn (developer)
Stephen Alan "Steve" Wynn is an American business magnate who played a pivotal role in the 1990s resurgence and expansion of the Las Vegas Strip...
) and then later on May 18, 2004, the Sands Macau
Sands Macau
Sands Macao is a casino resort located in Macau Peninsula, Macau. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, and was designed by Steelman Partners, LLP...
casino opened near the Macau Ferry Terminal.
| Name | Opening Hours | Size | Special Features |
| Casino Lisboa Casino Lisboa, Macau The original casino and the 12-storey round hotel tower were built in 1970 by Stanley Ho, Teddy Yip, Yip Hon and Henry Fok. A 270-room extension was added in 1991 for a total of 927 rooms. In 2006, another extension, the Grand Lisboa, was built next to the current complex. Therefore a total of 2362... |
24 hours | 107 slots and 146 table games (190,000 sq ft) | Hotel with 1,000 rooms and 6 restaurants |
| Casa Real Casino Casa Real Casino The Casa Real Casino is a casino located within the Casa Real Hotel on Macau peninsula. It has 53 gambling tables and 123 slot machines.-See also :* List of Macau casinos* Macau gaming law* Gambling in Macau... |
24 hours | 123 slots and 53 table games (36,000 sq ft) | Hotel with 381 rooms and 2 restaurants |
| Grandview Casino | 24 hours | 51 table games | Hotel with 407 rooms and 2 restaurants |
| Casino Macau Palace | 24 hours | 51 slots and 12 table games (11,120 sq ft) | None |
| Altira Macau | 24 hours | 550 slots and 220 table games | Hotel with 216 VIP rooms |
| Jai Alai Casino | 24 hours | 208 slots and 61+ table games, 4 VIP rooms (67,075 sq ft) | None |
| Kam Pek Casino | 24 hours | 71 slots and 24 table games; 4 VIP rooms (34,320 sq ft) | None |
| Kingsway Hotel & Casino | 12:00 pm – 4:00 am | 20 slots and 8 table games (11,755 sq ft) | Hotel with 410 rooms |
| Grand Lapa Hotel | 12:00 pm – 4:00 am | 59 slots and 11 table games (12,140 sq ft) | Hotel with 437 rooms and 6 restaurants |
| Mocha Clubs | 24 hours | 1000 slots (number of tables unknown) | None |
| New Century Hotel & Casino | 24 hours | 19 table games | Hotel with 554 rooms |
| The Legend Club | 24 hours | 108 slots and 12 table games; 1 VIP room (15,000 sq ft) | None |
| Sands Macao | 24 hours | 405 slots and 270 gaming tables (165,000 sq ft) | 51 suite VIP hotel |
| Golden Dragon Casino | 24 hours | 137 slots, 123 gaming machines and 85 gaming tables, 15 VIP rooms | 483 deluxe guest rooms including 84 harbour view rooms and 45 signature suites |
| Greek Mythology Casino | 24 hours | 228 tables (to be upgraded to 500), 100 slot machines (160,000 sq ft) | 554 rooms at the New Century Hotel |
| MGM Grand Macau MGM Grand Macau MGM Macau is a 35-story, 600-room casino resort in Macau which officially opened on 18 December 2007. Under a sub concession approved by the Macau government, the project is owned and operated as a 50-50 joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Pansy Ho Chiu-king, daughter of Macau... |
24 hours | 345 gaming tables and 1035 slot machines | 600 room hotel |
| Wynn Macau Wynn Macau Wynn Macau , owned by Wynn Resorts, is a luxury integrated resort in Macau Peninsula, Macau, People's Republic of China, offering gaming combined with a deluxe hotel, restaurants, designer shops, spa, and a "Performance Lake". It is the first Las Vegas-style integrated resort in Asia. It opened on... |
24 hours | 375 slot machines and 212 gaming tables (246,000 sq ft) | Integrated resort with 600 rooms and restaurants |
| The Venetian Macao The Venetian Macao The Venetian Macao is a hotel and casino resort in Macau owned by the Las Vegas Sands corporation. The Venetian is a 40-story, $2.4 billion anchor for the 7 hotels on the Cotai Strip in Macau... , Cotai strip |
24 hours | 3400 slot machines and 800 gaming tables (550,000 square feet of casino space) | Integrated resort with 3000 suites, convention and retail space |
| Babylon Casino – Fisherman's Wharf | 1100–2300 | ||
| Casino Crystal Palace at Hotel Lisboa | 36 slots (14,100 sq ft) | Makccarat tables | |
| Diamond Casino at Holiday Inn | 6 + 1 VIP Room, 32 slot machines (6,900 sq ft) | ||
| Emperor Palace Casino | 64 gaming table on 3 floors of casino concourse & 8 VIP Halls, 365 slot machines | ||
| Fortuna Casino | 35 gaming tables | ||
| Galaxy Rio Casino | 80 tables, 150 slots, 4 VIP rooms | 450 rooms, 65 suites | |
| Galaxy Starworld | 24 Hours | 300 tables, 371 slots | StarWorld Hotel |
| Galaxy Waldo Hotel and Casino | 24 Hours | 63 tables, 8 VIP rooms, 100 slots | 161 rooms |
| Pharaoh's Palace Casino | 24 Hours | 109 tables 5 VIP rooms, 383 slots (9000 sq ft) | 3 Presidential suites, 448 Rooms and Suites at The Landmark |
| Ponte 16 Ponte 16 Ponte 16 Resort Macau , on Rua do Visconde Paço de Arcos in Macau is a hotel and casino resort co-developed by SJM - Investment Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, who owns 51% of the project and Macau Success Limited who owns 49% of the project... |
24 Hours | 150 tables, 5 VIP halls and 20 rooms | |
| Casino Marina at Tapia | 20 tables, 4 VIP rooms, 37 slots 45,900 | 312 rooms and suites at Marina Hotel | |
| Crown Casino , Taipa – u/c | 220 (80 VIP), 183000 sq ft (17,001.3 m²) gaming space 500 slots | ||
| MJC Casino, Taipa | 19 tables, 2 VIP rooms, 15800 sq ft (1,467.9 m²) | 3 Deluxe Rooms and 22 Junior Suites and 1 Presidential Suite and 352 Standard Rooms and 26 Suites | |
| City of Dreams City of Dreams (casino) City of Dreams is a property along the Cotai Strip in the Cotai reclamation area in Macau built, owned and managed by Melco Crown Entertainment, formerly known as Melco PBL Entertainment. City of Dreams is Melco's second mega-sized property in Macau... |
24 Hours | 420000 square feet (39,019.3 m²) gaming floor containing 550 gaming tables and 1500 machines; 85000 square feet (7,896.8 m²) of retail space; Theatre of Dreams (1,700 seaters) | 366 room Hard Rock Hotel and 295 suites Crown Towers Hotel, Cotai. Grand Hyatt Macau (1,005 rooms). |
| Galaxy Cotai Mega Resort, Cotai. Has been opened since May 2011 | 450 tables, 1000 slot | 2000 hotel rooms, 50 restaurants, an artificial beach, a wave pool | |
| Galaxy Grand Waldo, Cotai | 168 tables, 25 machines, 350 slots (120000 sq ft) | ||
| Macau Studio City – planned, Cotai | 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²) of gaming facilities comprising more than 400 gaming tables | ||
| Casino Oceanus | 32,000 m2 on 3 floors containing 269 gaming tables and 569 machines | special facade, closest casino to the ferry terminal directly connected by a pedestrian bridge |
Horse racing
Other than casinos, there is betting at the Macau Jockey ClubMacau Jockey Club
The Macau Jockey Club is an organisation providing horse racing and betting entertainment in the former Portuguese colony of Macau, in the People's Republic of China....
and the dog-racing Canidrome.
Horse-racing mainly takes place every Tuesday and Saturday or Sunday at the race-course on the Taipa Island of Macau. The race-course has an area of 450,000 square metres and 18,000 seats for gamblers, and is open only for people over 18 years of age.
The Macau Jockey Club was formerly the Macau Trotting Club. In 1991, it was acquired by a consortium led by Stanley Ho
Stanley Ho
Stanley Ho, GBM, GLM, GBS, GML, OBE , also known as Ho Hung Sun, Stanley Ho Hung Sun, is an entrepreneur in Hong Kong and Macau. Ho is sometimes nicknamed "The King of Gambling", reflecting the government-granted monopoly he held of the Macau gambling industry for 40 years...
. The Macau Jockey Club is one of the largest private employers of Macau with around 1,400 employees and around 1,100 part-timers.
| Year | Number of Visitors | overall betting turnover |
| 89/90 | 268,561 | 462,642,000 |
| 90/91 | 305,957 | 637,308,000 |
| 91/92 | 349,845 | 979,940,000 |
| 92/93 | 353,730 | 1,296,616,000 |
| 93/94 | 324,953 | 1,296,133,000 |
| 94/95 | 367,185 | 1,521,334,000 |
| 95/96 | 376,487 | 2,285,331,000 |
| 96/97 | 352,440 | 2,635,168,000 |
| 97/98 | 369,957 | 3,421,173,000 |
| 98/99 | 325,444 | 3,576,040,000 |
| 99/00 | 306,319 | 3,567,430,000 |
| 00/01 | 284,569 | 4,019,742,000 |
| 01/02 | 330,298 | 3,263,321,000 |
| 02/03 | 308,168 | 3,297,540,000 |
Ways of betting
- On-course Betting
There are over 210 betting terminals "on-course". All terminals can perform sell and pay functions. Punters may bet in Hong Kong dollars or Macau patacas. Bets are accepted up to the start of each race. Punters may place a bet by oral instructions or by filling a ticket.
- Off-course Betting
There are over 80 betting terminals in the Off-Course Betting Centres. 14 Off-course Betting Centres are located in popular districts of Macau and Taipa.
- Internet betting
The Internet betting service commenced on 20 September 2003. Customers can review the Club's internet betting website at www.macauhorsebet.com.
- Telephone Services
There are over 600 telephone service terminals and a total of over 38,000 telebet accounts. The winning dividend of account holders may at their instructions be automatically transferred to their bank accounts.
- Fast Access Terminals (FAT)
Launched in June 1997, the personal betting terminal, FAT (Fast Access Terminal) offers betting, calculation of bet units, record tracking of bets, account enquiry, withdrawal instructions and other related information on races such as declaration and race-odds. Close to 1,000 customers are currently using FAT.
- Hong Kong Service Centres
Three service centres are now set up in Hong Kong including Shaukeiwan Service Centre, Sheung Wan Service Centre and Mongkok Service Centre.
Greyhound Racing
GreyhoundGreyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
Racing takes place at the Canidrome on Avenida General Castelo Branco (see image above for the location of the canidrome). These races are held on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and weekends starting from 7:45 p.m. and there are 16 games on every racing evenings. Admission is MOP$10 (usable for betting) for the public stand. Boxes are MOP$80 (Monday to Thursday) and MOP$120 (Friday to Sunday and Public Holidays) with a minimum charge of MOP$30 per person. Bar, snack-bars and restaurant facilities are available.
Players can bet inside the greyhound racing centre, or in off-course betting centres located in the Hotel Lisboa, Jai-Alai Palace and Kam Pek Casino.
Gambling and society
The casino industry is viewed by some as harmful to society. A high crime rate was one of the biggest problems that Macau's colonial Portuguese government had to face. Since Macau's return to China's rule in 1999, the public security situation has markedly improved. With the growth of the casino industry, a business called "bate-ficha" was developed and it is usually run by different triad societies. The bate-ficha business is an element of triad involvement in Macau's gambling industry. Bate-ficha involves selling customers "dead chips" that cannot be exchanged for cash in the casinos, but only by bate-ficha men or women, who are officially known as "gaming promoters" or "middlemen." for a commission. (See external link below for a more detailed explanation of bate-ficha).Triad involvement in Macau casinos makes a serious social impact on the local area. It attracts the attention of Chinese gangsters, whose deadly battles over the fortunes to be made from racketeering and extortion in the territory are a continuing problem. As different triad societies compete for controlled territory in the casinos and on the streets, disputes between societies occur from time to time. These are often settled in violent ways. Even worse, triad societies have grown so powerful in Macau that there was a trend that people tried to seek help from these societies rather than from the police. Although the situation has improved since the 1999 handover to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, the problem is still entrenched in the local area.
See also
- CotaiCotaiCotai is a 5.2 km2 piece of newly reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau, that has not yet been assigned to any of the freguesias. The Chinese and Portuguese names are a portmanteau of the two islands, Coloane and Taipa....
- Cotai StripCotai StripThe Cotai Strip is the casino and tourism project in the Cotai District, Macau, inspired by the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, USA, on a considerably smaller scale....
- Macau gaming lawMacau gaming lawGaming law is the set of rules and regulations that apply to the gaming or gambling industry, including table games, slot machines, pari-mutuels , lotteries and sports betting....
- List of Macau casinos