| Gaming-News > Archive > 2006 > October |
12 Oct 2006
Like a great army of ants, the workers in Macau go about a steady pace, constructing hotel after hotel in what has become known as the gambling capital of Asia. Indeed, if numbers and statistics are anything to go by, Macau could soon be known as the gambling capital of the world, as it overtakes Las Vegas in gambling revenue. While tumult and confusion reigns in the Western (particularly American) gambling industry, there is a feeling of controlled calm in Macau, even amidst the hammering and pounding of the construction sites.
Every available piece of land of Macau has been designated for gambling activities. Some even fear that these mega gambling casinos will threaten the historical importance of some of Macau’s old buildings, such as 16th Century Portuguese missionaries. Where no land is available for gambling complexes, it is simply reclaimed from the sea. Wherever one looks in Macau, there are mighty hotels and buildings going up, many of them themed images of famous western monuments such as the Venetian Macau – a replica of the Doge’s Palace in Venice.
It is estimated that, in under a decade, the number of rooms in the Asian gambling capital will increase from its present 12,000 to a staggering 54,000 rooms. While, at present, Chinese punters from the mainland make up Macau’s largest gambling public, there are already signs that a more international public is making its way to the area.
Like a great army of ants, the workers in Macau go about a steady pace, constructing hotel after hotel in what has become known as the gambling capital of Asia. Indeed, if numbers and statistics are anything to go by, Macau could soon be known as the gambling capital of the world, as it overtakes Las Vegas in gambling revenue. While tumult and confusion reigns in the Western (particularly American) gambling industry, there is a feeling of controlled calm in Macau, even amidst the hammering and pounding of the construction sites.
Every available piece of land of Macau has been designated for gambling activities. Some even fear that these mega gambling casinos will threaten the historical importance of some of Macau’s old buildings, such as 16th Century Portuguese missionaries. Where no land is available for gambling complexes, it is simply reclaimed from the sea. Wherever one looks in Macau, there are mighty hotels and buildings going up, many of them themed images of famous western monuments such as the Venetian Macau – a replica of the Doge’s Palace in Venice.
It is estimated that, in under a decade, the number of rooms in the Asian gambling capital will increase from its present 12,000 to a staggering 54,000 rooms. While, at present, Chinese punters from the mainland make up Macau’s largest gambling public, there are already signs that a more international public is making its way to the area.
