Macau is a Chinese peninsula which has increased dramatically in popularity over recent years thanks to its fame as a major gambling resort. Having recently made a glamorous cameo in a James Bond movie, its tourist industry exploded almost overnight, and now Macau has overtaken Las Vegas in leading the world’s gambling revenue.

If you usually gamble online or go to physical casinos in Atlantic City or Las Vegas, you may not know what you should expect from casinos in Macau. There are some major differences between western casino resorts and those in Macau. For a start, you’ll find there are some very different games on offer which aren’t commonly seen in western casinos. You’ll also find that some options that we’re used to in the west are more limited. Bingo terminals, for example, are often seen on gaming floors in the west, but are harder to find in Macau, so if bingo is your thing you might want to read more here about how to find the best bingo sites online on Topratedbingosites.co.uk to keep you satisfied. On the other hand, however, there’ll be some things which are extremely familiar. For example, you’ll see well-known hotel names like the Wynn, the Sands and the Venetian.

In this beginner’s guide to enjoying casinos in Macau, you’ll get some ideas and travel tips about how to get the most out of your trip and what you can expect.

Casinos in Macau

.

Where to Stay

Accommodation is key to enjoying your gambling trip to Macau. Choose a property that is walking distance from all the big-name casinos so that you won’t have to worry about transport. There are some amazing premium suites at the big gambling resorts like the Venetian and Sands Macau, and while they don’t come cheap, they do offer unparalleled luxury. You’ll also have access to fantastic entertainment and facilities, not to mention the fact that you’ll be steps away from the gaming floor.

Where to Gamble

The Casino floors or the resorts where these casinos are located do not charge an entry fee to its visiting guests. However, each table at these Casinos has a buy-in which can range from a few dollars to lakhs. One does not have to buy Hong Kong casino tickets to simply enjoy a night out. Roulette is readily available in most Macau casinos, and they only offer single zero roulette, which makes the game a better deal than it is at most U.S. The house edge on Macau roulette is 2.70%. Slot machines can be found in Macau casinos, but they’re not popular there like they are in the United States. The entry fee for the Casinos in Macau is varied. While some have a small fee for admission, there are many casinos in Macau that provide free of cost entry. The ticketing for Venetian Macau is also free. Venetian Macau Casino Entrance Fee, muskogee casino promotions, illinois poker machine law, prince lightning slot machine. Betway Casino App. It's simple interface and choice of more than 100 games makes the Betway casino app a popular choice among players.

The biggest question that you’ll need to ask is where you should gamble your hard-earned cash when you arrive in the gambling mecca that is Macau. You’ll have plenty of choices, so it all depends on the experience that you’re hoping to have.

The Wynn Macau was the first casino in the Vegas-style to be opened here. While it may be worth seeing for that reason, it isn’t the most spectacular. There are just 200 gaming tables, and the stakes are pretty high.

If you’re looking for spectacle, the Venetian should be your first stop. As you might expect if you’ve been to the resort of the same name in Vegas, this casino is incredibly luxurious. Its gaming floor is the largest anywhere in the world, with more than 500 gaming tables to choose from and about 2000 slots. Here, you’ll find classic Chinese games like Sic Bo, although you’ll find the minimum stakes are high. If you’re visiting on a work day, the Venetian is one of the best places to go since there’s always lots of action going on 7 days a week.

If you’re more into European-style gambling with the focus on the gaming tables rather than the entertainment, Casino Lisboa should be your first port of call. With around 700 slots and 400 gaming tables, you’ll have a good choice of western and eastern options from blackjack to Pai Gow.

Finally, if you’re a keen poker player, you should probably consider going to The City of Dreams. This enormous resort plays host to the Asian Championship Poker tournament each year, and if you’re keen to meet famous poker players, this is where you’ll find them. Even out of tournament season you’ll find lots of semi-professional players here, so you’ll get some decent competition at the poker table.

Guidelines for Gambling in Macau

If you’re new to gambling in Macau, you’ll need to know the rules which have to be followed. Here are some of the guidelines which are in place in the casinos of Macau.

1. Gambling age – legally, foreigners are permitted to gamble in Macau’s casinos when they are aged 18 or over. However, Macau residents have to be aged over 21. You will only be able to use a Hong Kong ID card or passport as identification.
2. Legal items – when heading into a casino you’ll usually have to check in your luggage, laptop and camera at the cloakroom.
3. Dress code – this varies between establishments. Some are stricter than others, but in general, you should avoid wearing sleeveless tops, shorts and flip flops whether you’re male or female. If you’re planning on entering the high roller rooms, you’ll have even stricter dress codes to follow.
4. Legal tender – although the local currency is the Macau Pataca, in the casinos only the Hong Kong Dollar is accepted as legal tender.
5. Alcohol – while Vegas has a reputation of being Sin City, everything doesn’t go in Macau. If you’re visibly intoxicated, it’s likely the security staff will evict you from the gaming floor.
6. Smoking – while most casinos are officially non-smoking, many customers ignore this and light up anyway. They are very rarely stopped from doing so.
7. Shuttle buses – if you need to use a shuttle bus to get to different hotels and resorts, you’ll have to have proof. A casino receipt or evidence of your casino hotel room will be required if you want to hop on one of these buses.

Robert Cantwell (left), Óscar Madureira and Kahlil Philander

The so-called “casino entry levies,” that is, the fees or limitations enforced in some jurisdictions for patrons to access the casino floor, was one of the topics discussed yesterday during the last day of this year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia event.

The historical background of such restrictions was analyzed by Robert Cantwell, partner at Lathrop Gage and expert on the US market, and Óscar Madureira, Lawyer at Rato, Ling, Lei & Cortes – Advogados (Lektou), who brought an Asian perspective to the discussion.

Although presenting different perspectives, both the panelists and the moderator, Kahlil Philander, assistant professor at the University of Washington, agreed about the fact that the enforcement of levies to access casino floors does not prevent people from accessing the casino to gamble.

Another of the aspects in which all the experts agreed is the fact that, as Madureira said, there is not enough data or relevant studies to support any of the existing theories around levies.

As Cantwell noted from his experiences in Missouri and Indiana, USA, “although there is a entry fee, it’s generally of USD2 or USD4 and patrons most of the time are not even aware of such a fee as casinos themselves manage that fee [including it in some service charge or others].”

He also mentioned that the idea behind such fee was “not to prevent local people from engaging in gaming but [to operate] as a kind of compensation to local communities to allow gaming activities in their area.” Cantwell explained that the money collected from the fee would be returned to several community projects, noting that, as such, it “did have some form of social aspect [attached].” Either way, eventually the fee system “faded into a membership system where you can be a member just for USD10 [that you can use] to buy something within the property.”

Madureira stated, “I’m not that confident that these kind of measures produce the effect they were designed to. From all who were [consulted] about this topic I can’t get a clear idea that this can prevent in any way or reduce people’s appetite to go to the casino.” He noted that arguments citing countries like Singapore, where the enforcement of entry fees upon locals are said to have the desired deterrent effect, may be biased, suggesting, “maybe they just got bored [of going there] as they have only two properties,” he said.

Madureira also noted that using such a system in Macau “would definitely not work” for “historical reasons and others that are related to the free flow of people around the properties, among others.”

Going a bit further, Madureira added, “this is not the most appropriate way to take care of the issues [involving responsible gaming].”

Deepening the discussion, Philander raised the question of whether levies are even ethical.

On that topic, Cantwell believed that “although it might not produce any consequence, the idea behind the creation of levies is an ethical one in the sense that it aims to give back to the communities and try to help in some way with the problems [eventually] created by gaming.” However, he agreed that levies, especially “high enough levies that can keep some people away,” might be discriminatory, by preventing access to gaming only for the less wealthy, while wealthier members of the public would not be deterred regardless of their “gaming behavior” or “susceptibility to addiction.”

On that topic, Madureira believes, “when the authorities put these measures into place, they were seeking to put some ethics into the system,” adding, “there is no commercial objective in this. There is no integrated resort in the world that can profit in any way from these [levies],” as although the amount can be large it is “irrelevant compared with the Gross Gaming Revenue that these properties are raising.”

Addressing the preventive measures taken by several jurisdictions to reduce problematic gambling, Madudeira noted the “good spirit” of the authorities when creating the measures, but also acknowledged that some measures were almost impossible to be fully enforced – in particular, the proposed casino entry ban or self-instigated ban to enter casinos. “Of course we receive all these lists and updates from the Gaming Inspection, and Coordination Bureau but it’s impossible [to guarantee] that all these people [are scrutinized] at the entrance. Sometimes we have 50,000 people entering the casino floor in one day so it’s impossible [to check them one-by-one].” Madudeira added that although facial recognition technology is playing an important role, it is still not fail-proof.

Macau Casino Entry Fee Waived

As for Cantwell, he noted the success of the gambling licensing system employed in the US and considered it a potential solution in the future for Macau. However, Madureira was of the view that each solution was unique to each jurisdiction and closely tied to the local culture, and as such, a different solution “should be adopted according to each culture and market.”

Industry is ‘world-class standard’ on anti-money laundering compliance

Is Macau Casinos Open Now

A keynote speech and debate was held yesterday afternoon at the Venetian Cotai Expo, concluding the circle of forums and conferences held concurrently with the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia event.

Tom Roche, partner & head of the Global Gaming Group, Ernst & Young Hong Kong said, “In my view, we are probably the world-class standard on anti-money laundering compliance,” adding that besides being a highly regulated activity, it has been always under close scrutiny from the media. Due to that, “Our industry has, over time, put a lot of resources and experts towards [developing] the compliance program of anti-money laundering.”

Roche noted that for the time being, Macau has adopted several measures to comply with the international rules received “a very positive review.”

Roche elected Singapore as the “highest level” in the field of compliance with anti-money laundering requirements, while noting other Asian jurisdictions that face challenges in the area of compliance. He mentioned Vietnam and Laos, which have made efforts to comply with the standards, and other cases such as Cambodia, where “there is still a long way to go.”

Another of the challenges presented to the industry according to Roche is the possibility of the introduction of cryptocurrencies, predicted to be a game changer in the process.

The gaming expert also noted that the “global characteristics” of the gaming industry are critical as well as its “reputation,” noting that “any scandal [occurring] anywhere in the world will impact all other jurisdictions.”

Macau Casino Wa

On the matter of good practices enforced within Macau, most recently, the “data accuracy of the KYC system” applied to ATM machines and the “Extensive Internal Audit Reviews” of the gaming concessionaires have been among the most highly praised. Roche concluded that the most important factor in compliance is the regular review of risk assessments, to ensure that the industry stays up to date.