Last Updated on 2021/11/18
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Macau is now considered the gambling capital of the world, and it’s really no surprise.
While Las Vegas enjoyed notoriety for being the go-to destination for gamblers, Macau slowly built itself up as Sin City’s strongest competitor. In 2010 alone, Macau generated more revenue than the entire state of Nevada from the gambling industry and before we knew it, Macau already became the biggest city for gambling and it is one of the top destinations to most Asian casino online players.
With China’s massive globalization, Macau enjoyed a consistent crowd of gamblers from Mainland China who wanted to burn some cash but were prohibited to gamble in their own cities. This is because Macau is the only city in China where gambling is legal because it is considered a Special Administrative Region that creates its own laws and controls its own economy. Gambling makes up 50% of Macau’s economy and it is divided into four main categories: sports betting, lotteries, casino games and greyhound racing.
Today, Macau is dubbed as the “Monte Carlo of the East” where you’ll find more than 40 casinos that offer almost every form of gambling that you can think of. A gambler in Macau usually spends on average of $1,354 as compared to just $156 in Las Vegas, according to The Economist. So if you’re one of those looking to spend some money and rub elbows with the high rollers, here are the top five casinos in Macau that you should hit on your next trip:
- Morpheus
It may have just opened in 2018, but Morpheus is already making a name for itself on the Macau gambling scene. This $1.1 billion casino named after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams, is a striking structure on Macau’s skyline where it features the world’s first tower to be completely supported and wrapped by a free-form exoskeleton. This means that the building doesn’t have any supporting columns or walls, a first of its kind designed by world-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects.
This unique property boasts of 772 guest rooms, suites and villas, Michelin-starred restaurants from the most celebrated chefs like the great Alain Ducasse, an in-house spa and a sky pool located 130 meters above the ground. But for the high rollers, Morpheus is a haven with more than 40 gaming tables.
- Grand Lisboa
You can’t gamble in Macau without trying your luck at the iconic Grand Lisboa. Considered as Macau’s gambling symbol, this historic 12-storey structure was built by the godfather of gambling in Macau Stanley Ho in 1970. The casino has undergone several renovations over the years and it fully re-opened in 2008. Ho holds shares in over 22 casinos around Macau and he is set to open the new Grand Lisboa Palace beside Wynn Palace on Cotai by the 2nd half of the year.
The Grand Lisboa casino itself is already a tourist destination because of its rich history and striking façade. It has over four floors of gaming space with 880 slot machines and 390 gaming tables. Here, you can play Blackjack, Baccarat, Caribbean Stud Poker, Three-Card Baccarat, Roulette, Fortune Wheel and Sic Bo. You can even enjoy a performance from the Crazy Paris Show while you’re rolling the dice. The Grand Lisboa Hotel has over 430 rooms and suites, three Michelin-starred restaurants including Robuchon au Dome, a hair salon and spa, a gym and an outdoor swimming pool. The new Grand Lisboa Palace will also boast of more than 2,000 rooms across three 20-storey towers designed by Donatella Versace and the late Karl Lagerfeld.
- Wynn Palace
Wynn is already known for its extravagant casinos and hotels, so it was really no surprise that it joined Macau’s list of luxury casinos with Wynn Palace, a $4.2 billion behemoth that combines a world-class casino and hotel in one. It is home to the largest spa in all of Macau and over 1,706 rooms and suites for high rollers to relax after a night of winning. Wynn Palace also features more than a dozen restaurants and the Sky Cab, which flies over the eight-acre Performance Lake.
But more than the luxury, Wynn Palace is known for having more than 1,000 slot machines and live table games including 350 tables dedicated for Blackjack, Roulette and Poker.
- The Parisian Macau
Stepping inside this colossal structure will instantly take you to Paris. After all, it was inspired and named from the City of Lights. Opened in September 2016, the Parisian Macau is designed and decorated following the French theme. Its reception area is a replica of the Palace of Versailles and it has a half-scale replica of the iconic Effeil Tower with a lift that takes you on top for an unobstructed view of Cotai.
The Parisian Macau also has 3,000 rooms and suites all designed and furnished with the French theme and its 135,000 square foot casino has 400 tables where you can play a game of Baccarat or Roulette and more than 2,500 gaming machines including video poker and slots. But its most – popular offering is Sic Bo, a local game that offers you a 50/50 chance of winning by simply betting big or small. And of course, you can’t miss out on all the French fine dining restaurants and bakeries in the resort as well as its street artists and buskers that will really remind you of Paris.
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without the most popular hotel and casino in Macau, Venetian Macau. Known as the biggest casino in the world, this complex was inspired by Venice and it has its own Grand Canal complete with gondolas that you can rent to tour around the property’s canal. The hotel boasts of 3,000 suites measuring 750 square feet each, but what really makes the Venetian Macau worth a visit is its massive 376,000-square foot casino floor, the biggest in the world where you can enjoy a game of Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, Sands Stud Poker and Sic Bo. And if you’re ready to relax, you can choose from one of the resort’s four outdoor pools.
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