The casino industry in Macau, having gained the status of the gambling capital of the world, wants to change its image.
The former Portuguese colony on the southern coast of China worked hard since returning to Chinese control in 1999 to position itself as the global leader of casino gambling.
Now it is working again to transform itself as a family-friendly tourist resort.
Along with the gambling came money laundering, corruption, and human trafficking as well as loan sharks, gambling addiction, and prostitution.
The rise in China’s economy has served to inject cash into Macau, but it has also widened the gap in wealth of its residents. This is something that concerns China’s leadership and its president is currently pushing an austerity campaign.
A US congressional report quoted one source as saying “$202billion in ill-gotten funds are channelled through Macau each year”.
In 2002 Macau’s revenues were some £274million, but by last year they had escalated to £27.65billion, which is more than sevenfold that of Las Vegas. Ten new casinos are planned to open in the next ten years.
At the same time, the government is seeking to move away from the image of gaming and entice families with children with appropriate attractions, such as the Kung Fu Panda.
Sands China casino has enlisted David Beckham as a “regional ambassador” in the hope that his “well-known personal values” will help. Its 15,000 capacity arena will be the venue for a Rolling Stones concert. Before the Stones, Justin Bieber, Celine Dion and Lady Gaga and sports stars, such as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, have all appeared.
But many observers feel that the tiny colony will have to do a lot more to change both its reality and its image.
