Macau Still Setting the Pace for Gambling

The former Portuguese colony of Macau overtook Las Vegas years ago as the world's biggest gambling hub, and all signs seem to point that it has no intention of slowing down.

Newest hotel casino resort

Galaxy Macau Casino is the latest hotel casino resort to make its name in Macau. Opened in May this year, the $2 billion casino complex has a gaming floor measuring at around 420 sq feet, 600 tables and 1,500 slot machines.

The resort section is just as lavish. With three hotels containing 2,200 rooms, and a rooftop beach featuring a giant wave pool and sand as good as anything you'll find in the Bahamas, it's not hard to see why the Galaxy employs some 8,000 workers on site.

Gambling boom

Macau continues to boom, the stats show. While gross domestic product in the Chinese special administrative region grew a staggering 26.4 percent last year, and continues to grow above 20% this year, gambling revenue has climbed even further - reaching 44% in the first half of 2011.

Compared to Las Vegas this is no contest. Gambling revenue reached $23.5 billion last year, quadrupling that of its American rival. And although revenue is expected to slow to 25% by next year, that will still see it outpace all other competitors around the world.