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China Rules Macau and Gambling Rules the Economy
Although Macau is in south-east Asia and is now, in fact, a part of China, it used to be a Portuguese colony. Gambling has always been big in Macau - it is known as the Monte Carlo of the Orient - and it has been allowed since the 1850s when the Portuguese government declared it legal. Until the 20th century, most of the gambling in Macau was on Chinese games (fantan being the most popular), but about 100 years ago, western-style casino games were introduced and they have soared in popularity.
Gambling Baccarat in Macau
Since 1999, when Portugal ceded rule over Macau to China, gambling has taken on a different atmosphere in Macau. In fact, now that Macau is part of the People's Republic of China, gambling is a mainstay of the country's economy. Baccarat - that high-rolling game of chance - is one of the most popular gambling games in Macau. Horse racing and greyhound (dog) racing are also big but casino games - and particularly baccarat - rule. VIP baccarat accounts for more than 70% of all the gambling revenues in Macau and that's a lot of money.
Chinese High Rollers Love Baccarat
The Chinese love gambling so it's not surprising that mainland and Hong Kong Chinese make up almost 90% of the millions of visitors to Macau's lavish casinos. Only horse racing and mahjong are legal in Hong Kong so the legalized casino gambling in Macau is a big draw. There are now over a dozen major Las-Vegas-style casinos in Macau, generating billions of dollars in revenue; new casinos are built every year. Many of the gamblers come with big bank rolls and baccarat is a perennial favorite among the Chinese.
Macau Baccarat
Although easily accessible on the Internet, baccarat still enjoys a reputation as a game for high rollers and rich gamblers; it is also thought of as a complicated game. In fact, baccarat is one of the easiest games to learn - there are almost no decisions to make and very few rules to remember. Macau baccarat has the reputation of being a fair and honest game - a game for everyone. Baccarat gamblers have to make one of three bets - on the player's hand, the banker's hand, or a tie; that's it.
What you're doing when you bet on a player or the banker is betting on which of the two hands dealt you think will have a value closest to 9. In other words, baccarat is a game of luck - like keno or roulette - in which you have to predict the outcome of play. The dealer's decisions are pre-set for him, which, again, contributes to the fairness of the game. Macau baccarat is pretty much classic baccarat - it's the game of choice in this exotic locale.
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