Recent figures from Macau show that occupancy levels and revenue generation are both rising. International visitor levels are good, but by far the lion’s share of the visitors to Macau are from China.
While some other physical gambling locations across the world are experiencing difficulties, Macau’s tourism and revenue numbers are booming. The levels of visitors on casino floors and in adjacent hospitality services are returning to levels more reminiscent of 2019 and before, and gaming revenue is benefiting strongly because of this. While international visitors are present, Macau officials have indicated that Chinese tourists are the biggest share of the boom.
The presence of such a high proportion of Chinese tourists is due to more than simple proximity; it shows an underlying truth about Macau’s relationship with these Chinese travelers. The luxury entertainment, high-end hospitality and betting services that Macau offers don’t just service these Chinese visitors; they rely on them. From the other side of the equation, the surging visitor numbers show that Chinese tourists have just as much of an appetite for what Macau offers, as Macau has a need for their custom.
Chinese Players Show a Healthy Appetite for Gambling Culture
Gambling activities, in most of China, are restricted fairly heavily. There are two lotteries that the state runs, the Welfare Lottery and the Sports Lottery, but other than that, gambling activities are technically illegal. Despite this, or maybe because of it, the presence of a Chinese majority in Macau shows that there is a healthy appetite for gambling activities in Chinese culture.
Among the games offered at Macau, many of them are designed to cater to their local, and biggest, customer base. Games like pai gow, sic bo and especially baccarat are very popular, and all of them have roots in Chinese culture. But for many Chinese players, betting is associated with social bonding, superstition and tradition. Games that allow the expression of personal habits, rituals and superstitions are what many Chinese players gravitate towards.
There is also a healthy proportion of sports betting options offered in Macau. Much of which is engaged in by its most numerous visitors, the Chinese. Stats show that Chinese bettors enjoy betting on sports like football, basketball and esports. While online sports betting in China is officially restricted to the Sports Lottery, platforms that offer Chinese residents betting options are available and used relatively frequently by some Chinese bettors. At least, their seeming expertise and familiarity with sports betting in Macau would suggest such.
For many Chinese tourists to Macau, their inability to express their cultural gambling ties and habits at home means that Macau is a place where they can tap into a part of their cultural identity they otherwise miss. Macau offers them a place to be themselves, in a safely regulated and glamorous environment.
Why Does Macau Attract So Many Visitors From China in Particular?
As we said earlier, it’s far more than simple geographic convenience that leads so many Chinese tourists to seek the glamour of Macau, but being so close definitely helps.
A Legal Gaming Outlet
For Chinese people who feel the urge to engage with cultural ideas of luck, superstition and social bonding through play by gambling, Macau is the obvious choice. It offers a perfectly safe, perfectly legal option to express those feelings and that side of their identity, and it’s reasonably close. It’s also culturally close, as Macau is culturally Chinese, with a dash of Portuguese, and as a Special Administrative Region of China, it feels very familiar to Chinese tourists.
Chinese who want to gamble have no need to travel all the way to Las Vegas, Europe or even Singapore. They can satisfy those needs much closer to home, at establishments that are world-renowned.
World-Renowned Casino Infrastructure
A contest between Macau and Las Vegas would be a close-run thing, and the winner might really come down to cultural and personal preference on the side of the judge. What is not in doubt is that the casino infrastructure available in Macau is world-renowned as one of the best. It includes things such as:
- A full VIP experience for high rollers.
- Live shows and performances.
- Luxury hotel options.
- Casinos with huge gaming floors.
- Exquisite Michelin-star restaurants.
- Shopping areas full of designer stores.
Macau doesn’t just offer gambling; it’s a luxury destination, and it offers all the trappings and glamour of wealth.
Culturally and Linguistically Close to Home
We mentioned the cultural closeness earlier, but it bears mentioning again. For Chinese tourists, being able to engage in the luxury of Macau and the gambling it offers, without needing to change cultural habits or surmount barriers imposed by linguistic differences, is a huge part of its popularity.
It’s Easy To Reach
The investment in infrastructure between mainland China and Macau has paid off dividends. It is easier now than it ever has been for Chinese tourists to travel to Macau, with a number of options, including fast ferries and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Making it easy to reach means that you don’t have to be a fanatic gambler to want to make the trip.
Final Thoughts
As visitor numbers continue to rise, bringing revenue numbers up with them, it seems as though the future for Macau will be bright. Chinese tourism is likely to always be the linchpin of Macau’s success, but that is something Macau officials see only as a boon.
As additional casino and resort infrastructure is built in and around Macau, the appeal and capacity of the glamorous destination seem set only to continue rising. Especially for fans of gambling activities in the Asia region, Macau is likely to remain the go-to destination for luxury, gambling and glamorous excess.
