For many years people considered Las Vegas to be the capital of gambling in the world. It surely was, with millions of tourists visiting the 104 casinos in Las Vegas. But with the beginning of new millennium, Las Vegas got its competition in Southern China: Macau. Called by many the “Asian Las Vegas”, in the years that followed, Macau surpassed the “Sin City” in revenue and is the new leader in the world of gambling.
In this article you will see a comparison between the two biggest gambling centers in the world and their battle for leadership.
In the state of Nevada, gambling became legal in 1931, with Las Vegas soon becoming world famous for its casinos and nightlife and also a driving force of the economy by delivering the biggest revenue.
The same was done in Macau by the Portuguese government but much earlier, in the middle of the 19th century. The main purpose was to generate revenue for the government and to this day, gambling tourism drives about 50% of the economy of the city. It is divided into: casino games, greyhound racing, sports betting, and lotteries.
The basic difference between the two is the way that everyday life is organized. Las Vegas has more entertainment and is full of fun and parties, you can drink as much alcohol as you want to in the casinos, and is more of a fast food place.
Whereas Macau, is full of high class restaurants where food is cooked by world famous chefs, you may drink tea & Coca-Cola since there is no alcohol in casinos, and generally has a more serious gambling scene.
Another difference is in the taxes for winnings. When you win in Las Vegas, the tax that goes to the IRS is from 25-30% of the winnings and it depends on how you win, and if you are a foreign gambler you must pay 30% in taxes. On the other hand, Macau has a law that allows the gambling winnings to go untaxed.
All in all, the battle for taking over the throne will continue as more and more money is invested in the biggest gambling centres of the world that Las Vegas and Macau are.
