
Gambling in Macau has been legal since the 1850s when the Portuguese government legalized the activity in the colony. Since then, Macau has become known worldwide as the "Monte Carlo of the Orient", and gambling has become a significant part of the city's economy. Until Western-style casino games were introduced in the 20th century, only Chinese games were played, the most popular being Fan-Tan. Now, with all the casinos built in the territory including a few number of new ones (some of them are Las Vegas giant companies) opening up soon, Macau is also known as East Las Vegas.
Gambling in Macau plays an important role in the economy of the city. Many Hong Kong and mainland tourists like gambling there. Few local people in Macau visit casinos, though. Generally, gambling in Macau can be divided into three different categories: casino games, horse racing and greyhound racing. There is also sports betting and a number of lotteries. At the present time, Macau does not license online gaming operations.
References
- Chan, S. S. (2000). The Macau Economy. Macau: Publications Centre, University of Macau. ISBN 99937-26-03-6.
- Macau Yearbook 2007. Government Information Bureau of the Macau SAR. 2007. ISBN 978-99937-56-09-5.
- Bloomberg, Macau Casinos Top Las Vegas as Adelson, Wynn, Battle Stanley Ho, 1/03/2007
Links
This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.
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