The Macau Special Administrative Region (Mao Men), a former Portuguese colony, is the only place in China where gambling is officially allowed and the gambling business operates legally. Until today, it has operated 33 chic modern casinos, including the luxurious Venecian Macao, Grand Lisboa and Galaxy.
On April 11, 2012, a new Sands Cotai Central casino opened in Macau, costing more than four billion dollars. This is the largest entertainment center not only in Asia but also in the world! American billionaire and gambling tycoon Sheldon Adelson has opened the fourth casino hotel in Macau. This massive investment in Macau’s economy once again confirms its position as the world’s largest gaming center and the new capital of gambling. While the American casino cities of Las Vegas and Atlantic City have struggled with falling casino profitability in recent years, Macau, on the other hand, is showing good economic growth and is attracting many foreign investors. Over the past year, Macau’s profit was about 33.5 billion dollars, which is five times the income of Las Vegas! The grand opening of Sands Cotai Central was unforgettably colorful in traditional Chinese style with dragon dance, tightrope walkers and fire eaters. The culmination of the holiday was the presentation to the public of a 2,500 kg statue of the goddess of fortune made of gold and bronze.
On the territory of a small peninsula and two adjacent islands that make up the autonomous region of Macau, European and Asian traditions are intertwined. Narrow cobbled streets and houses in the style of old Catholic Europe testify to the colonial past, glowing new neighborhoods, chic hotels and beautiful parks speak of the new and the future. Staff and officials in Macau speak English, and there is a ferry service to nearby Hong Kong. This city attracts visitors not only from nearby regions and China, Macau is gaining worldwide popularity and fame as the best city of entertainment.