Where to Gamble in Macau: the Best Casinos

If you’re temped to have a lucky flutter, Macau has become the place. Since 2006, it’s regularly been raking in as much as five times more in annual casino revenue than Vegas. So much so, it’s now the world’s most successful gaming capital.

According to The Economist, on average, gamblers lay down US$1,354 in Macau casinos compared to just US$156 in Las Vegas. This is thought to be due to China’s rapidly developing middle class who have a big appetite for gambling.

With over 40 shiny new casinos to choose from in Macau, there’s bound to be one where you can strike it lucky. Take your pick from our recommended list.

Macau itself may be small, but not when it comes to casinos. In fact, The Venetian is home to the world’s biggest casino. With 376,000 square feet of gaming space, there’s plenty of room, and chances, for you to place your best bet. There’s no less than 640 gaming tables (baccarat being the most common, alongside blackjack, sic bo and roulette) and 1,760 slot machines.

Furthermore, The Venetian has 3,000 guest suites, more than 30 restaurants – from Michelin-starred fine dining to intimate bars and cafés – four outdoor swimming pools, over 330 retail shops, and even an 18-hole rooftop golf course.

An icon of Macau’s skyline, at 856 ft, Grand Lisboa is the city’s tallest building. Shaped like a giant golden lotus flower, it’s about as attention-grabbing as casinos come. Inside, the gaming space isn’t too shabby either. The casino has over 230 gaming tables and 880 slot machines. Games available include baccarat, blackjack, Carribean stud poker, American Roulette, sic bo, 3 card baccarat and fortune wheel. Bets range from a minimum of HK$300 ($38.35) up to a whopping HK$5 million.

In addition, Grand Lisboa offers 430 rooms and suites, as well as some of the city’s best fine dining restaurants. Among them are the three Michelin star Robuchon au Dome (European cuisine) and three Michelin star The Eight (Chinese cuisine), as well as several other food and beverage offerings, a luxury spa, outdoor swimming pool, and daily entertainment shows.

Wynn loves elegance and with this casino it shows. Costing a staggering US$4.2 billion to construct, it delivers on the promise of its name by being nothing short of palatial. In total, the casino itself offers more than 1,000 slot machines and live table games. This includes 350 gaming tables where guests can enjoy playing roulette, blackjack, poker variations and many others.

Wynn Palace is also home to 1,706 rooms and suites, Macau’s largest spa, more than a dozen fine dining and casual dining restaurants, as well as stunning floral creations and artworks. Meanwhile, guests can enjoy entering the resort via air-conditioned Sky Cabs flying over an 8-acre, 325,000-square foot Performance Lake.

MGM Cotai opened to the cost of US$3.2 billion in February 2018. The exterior of the glitzy resort is designed to resemble a jewellery box. Inside, it’s no less impressive. The casino features 177 gaming tables (12 for VIP customers) and 1,500 slot machines.

The property offers 1,390 rooms and suites, which include 16 Skylofts and 27 Mansion Villas. Guests can enjoy several dining and drinking options, a luxury spa, and an abundance of art. The star attraction is The Spectacle: 25 LED walls, four-stories high, located in the atrium displaying digital artworks and even visitor-generated content. There’s also more than 300 contemporary Asian paintings and sculptures, as well as 28 Chinese imperial carpets that date back to the Qing Dynasty and once adorned the Forbidden City in Beijing.

As the newest kid on the strip, the US$1.1 billion Morpheus casino (named after the Greek god of dreams) aims to become a new landmark in Macau. Visually striking, with an absence of supporting walls or columns, it’s the world’s first tower to be wrapped in and supported by a free-form exoskeleton. Having opened in June 2018 and designed by renowned Zaha Hadid Architects, Morpheus currently offers 40 gaming tables, but more are expected to be added next year.

The property features 772 guest rooms, suites and villas, an in-house spa, restaurants by star chefs such as Alain Ducasse, and a sky pool that is 130 metres above the ground.

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