Macau - casinos

The Muslims goes to Macca for pilgrimage; the Chinese goes to Macau. With the direct flight, budget airline Tiger Airways, servicing there, going to Macau can't be any simpler. A 3 1/2 hours flight and you are there. The taxi to most hotels are about 10 mins - Macau isn't that big.


People goes to Macau for one reason - gambling. After Sands ( a Las Vegas based casinos) operates in Macau, the smaller and older ones are finally bucking up. A walk on the streets will see renovations and building activities. I must say that Sands has set a new standard for gambling: gambling is not just about winning money; Sands has make the process of gambling ( and actually losing money) - enjoyable. I can't take pictures inside the casino, but imagine Suntec City Convection with super high ceiling and escalators ... now replace the shops and exhibition hall with gambling tables and jackpot machines. Sands is a 4 storey high casino!

Other new and upcoming hotel-casino-resort are:

1. Crown Casino - 6-Star Hotel-casino just opened recently a few months ago. The invited Chow Yun Fatt, the star actor for Gods of Gambler to be the ambassador for the hotel. Wonderful place - big, nice, clean. 5 storey of casinos.
2. Venetian Macau - coming soon. ( also by Sands) Integrated Resort style casinos. Looking at the model, the place looks really attractive, with wave pool and resorts and stuff ... and , of course, casinos.
   

Just outside Sands and the blocks of other hotels-cum-casinos, is the Fisherman Wharf. It is more like a theme park. And , as the pictures below, it is deserted. It's a pity because it is really a nice place. Then again, if people are going to Macau for gambling, and the casinos do not admit children, there's not much reason to bring children there, isn't it. Of course the children theme park is going to be empty.

Actually, few people goes there to take pictures.


This Alfresco style cafe is empty in the day - Macau only comes alive at night.


The earnings in Macau have already surpass Las Vegas:
http://www.china.org.cn/english/MATERIAL/189446.htm
It seems that Singapore has made a right decision to open IR?!?!? There's a big market out there - Chinese's getting richer. And of course there are the Japanese and Koreans and Australian .... Anyway, only time will tell.

Sands will be building the IR at Marina Bay. However, it's not doing well in the first quarter this year, facing competition from Wynn and MGM. It seems like Sands is taking a big gamble as well. Read the analysis from Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/markets/2007/05/03/casino-sands-las-markets-equity-cx_er_0503markts19.html