Land Based Casinos

Macau Casinos

In recent years and in terms of revenue, Macau, a region in China, has managed to overtake Las Vegas as the Gambling Capital of the World. While Las Vegas is ducking insults from President Barack Obama and haemorrhaging cash, Macau has grown from strength to strength, with investors and casino businesses keen to grab a piece of the growing action.

In today’s blog, we’ll be discussing the legalisation of the gambling industry in Macau, s well as its influence on the local economy and workforce. Plus, we'll also examine what else Macau has to offer, aside from casinos.

The Growth of Casinos in Macau

The gambling industry in Macau didn’t truly develop until 2002, when the Macau government broke Stanley Ho’s gambling monopoly. Ho, who is still a major player in Macau, had a complete monopoly over casinos in the region, beginning in 1962 when gambling was legalised in Macau he formed the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau. While Ho still owns several casinos in Macau, new additions such as Wynn Macau and The Venetian Macao, have caused the gambling industry in the region to really emerge in recent years.

The Most Popular Casino Games in Macau

While in Las Vegas the most popular casino games on offer are by far the slot machines, in Macau players favour table games. In Stanley Ho’s Casino Lisboa, the amount of table games (which includes roulette, blackjack and baccarat) far outweigh the amount of slots on offer. The Sands Macao Casino resort also offers a whopping 740 table games – more than any other casino in the world.

Lucy the Elephant

It may surprise you to learn that, just like Las Vegas, there’s an awful lot of none-casino related fun to be had in Atlantic City. Whether you want to be spooked or educated, entertained or just admire the views, Atlantic City is bursting with museums, architectural sights and entertainment venues which you might not have known about. If you’re planning on heading to the New Jersey city for a gaming holiday, we recommend you check out our list of things to do in Atlantic City to find out about the very best attractions.

Check out Lucy the Elephant

Atlantic City is probably one of the few places in the world that houses a six storey (yes, six storey!) elephant. Deemed by Wikipedia as an “architectural folly”, Lucy the Elephant was constructed to attract homeowners and businesses to the area. At 65 feet tall, Lucy is probably one of the tallest animal themed buildings in the world and such notoriety no doubt saved her from demolition in the 1970’s. It seems businesses and residents have come to accept the large grey elephant in the city and Lucy even featured in a 2006 insurance advert. Located near Atlantic Avenue, Margate City, Lucy is a must see. You can even check her out on Google Maps.

Foxwoods Casino

We rarely ever focus on land-based casinos which aren’t based in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, but today we’ve decided to blog about Foxwoods Casino. We’ve received a resounding amount of questions about the resort and today, we’re going to answer them to the best of our ability. So whether you’re wondering about the geography of the casino and are left asking questions such as where is Foxwoods Casino located?, or even wondering what city Foxwoods Casino is in, fear not, as we’ll answer all of these and more. Starting from the beginning...

Foxwoods Casino is located in Connecticut and is in driving distance of four cities; New York, Boston, Providence and Hartford. It’s believed that when the casino first opened in 1986, the Mashantucket tribe, which operates the gaming facility, were keen to pick a location which would provide easy access for surrounding states. The Foxwoods Resort website states that it’s actually “the largest casino in the North American” area, offering over 300,000 square feet of gambling entertainment. It’s no wonder then that they’re able to offer over 380 casino games, ranging from Pai Gow poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and, of course, slots.

Interestingly, Foxwoods also offers a 3,200-seat Bingo Hall, which promises “high stakes” and bingo as you’ve never seen it before. Poker fans will also be pleased to learn the casino resort is part of the World Poker Tour. If you’re looking for an impressive casino experience, then we recommend you travel to Connecticut.

Macau Casinos

While Las Vegas is traditionally held as the number one gaming destination in the world, it may surprise you to learn that Macau has quickly emerged as a contender (and some would argue, victor) over Vegas. In 2006, Macau matched Las Vegas’ gambling revenue of $6 billion and soon became the highest volume gambling capital.

The gaming industry in Macau used to be monopolised by Stanley Ho and his Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau, but in 2002, several large Vegas brands successfully tapped into the market. While Stanley, and his daughter Pansy, are still involved in Macau’s gaming industry, it’s not as Ho-heavy as it once was.

However, while Vegas is surrounded in myth and has cultivated an impressive tourist tradition, Macau is still a relatively new venture for both gaming industry bigwigs and gambling enthusiasts alike. If you consider visiting a casino-related area, your first thought will undoubtedly be Las Vegas, your second Atlantic City and then, just maybe, your third will be Macau. In today’s blog, we’re going to cover the top casinos in Macau, in order to help those who haven’t heard of the region understand why Macau is so popular and in turn, why it’s definitely worth a visit.