It is one of the world’s smallest countries, but this Asian nation has a big draw for gamblers.
Macau, located close to the South China sea, has just 680,000 people living in it, but it has a gambling industry seven times bigger than Las Vegas.
The state has even been called “Las Vegas of the East” with the hordes of gambling tourists who visit every year helping to give its city one of the highest incomes per capita in the world, raking in $43,770 in 2021.
It is even starting to see large casino brands from the American gambling mecca and Australia open on its own strip, with 50pc of Macau’s economy made up by gambling.
While in many Asian countries such as China and Japan gambling is illegal, the act has been permitted in Macau since the 1850s when Portuguese colonisers legalised it.
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For this reason, the country attracts millions of Asian tourists wanting to try their luck.
The country has 41 casinos with its biggest being the 980,000sqm Venetian Macau, which is modelled on its sister venue in Las Vegas and even has a 15,000-seat arena. It is the 10th largest building in the world by floor space.
Macau’s most popular casino game is baccarat with punters playing the action-packed game chanting, blowing on cards, banging the table, and squeezing the cards.
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Other popular games in the country’s casinos include blackjack, roulette, boule, Sic bo, fan tan, keno and slot machines.
Away from the casinos, Macau also allows visitors to bet on horse racing at the Macau Jockey Club.
Horse racing takes place every Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday on the Taipa Island of Macau, with 18,000 course-side seats for gamblers.
Until 2018, the country also hosted Greyhound racing at its Canidrome, but this was permanently banned after 517 greyhounds had to receive medical care following racing.
Away from gambling, Macau is also home to the 338m tall Macau tower, which visitors are able to jump from, and the Macau Giant Panda Pavillion, which allows guests to get up close and personal with the cute animals.
Those wishing to experience Macau can get a return flight from London Gatwick for about £600 in January next year.
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