Macau, or “Asia’s Las Vegas” as it is sometimes referred to, has gone from zero to hero during the last decade, outrunning its Nevada counterpart in terms of both volume and range of games, and while the former Portuguese colony has much more than just gambling, a Macau travel plan is incomplete without visiting some of the cities famous casinos.

Casino Lisboa Macau

A proper “casinos safari” should obviously start from the “Lisboa”, Macau’s iconic gambling house, which for many years was the only casino in the city, and has made a name for itself for its rowdiness, smoke-chocked rooms and promiscuous cabaret shows… Things look more “civilized” nowadays, but the Lisboa certainly retains some of its colonial-days charm…

Grand Lisboa

The Grand Lisboa occupies a gleaming 250 m lotus-shaped skyscraper, right in front of the good-old Lisboa, and while it lacks the ambience of its ‘older brother’, it more than makes up for it with a decent range of games (including Texas hold ’em), a fabulous buffet restaurant, and the famous ‘Crazy Paris Show’… This is also where you can see ‘The Star of Stanley Ho’: The world’s largest cushion-shaped internally flawless D-color diamond.

Wynn Macau

Still around the corner of the Lisboa, Steve Wynn’s Wynn Macau occupies a modern glass-clad monolith, with 100,000 square feet of casino space, and other than gambling you can enjoy a lovely Italian dinner at ‘Ristorante il Teatro’ and watch the famous Wynn Performance Fountain.

Sands Macau

Further up Avenida de Amizade, the colossal gold glass-clad facade of Sands Macau can be seen from every corner around that area. This huge casino used to hold the title of the “world’s largest casino” until the Venetian opened up, in 2007, but although it is no longer “the biggest”, it is certainly one of Macau’s most impressive gambling halls. One of its restaurants, 888 Gourmet Place, features what is possibly the best Las Vegas style buffet in Macau.

City of dreams

Recently opened City of Dreams is the hottest thing in Macau nowadays, and while the colossal casino is not as big as the one at the neighboring Venetian, it is properly geared for mid-range gamblers, which might make it more popular among the average tourist. In terms of entertainment, you should see their ‘Vquarium’ (virtual aquarium) and the ‘Dragon’s Treasure Show’.

The Venetian

And finally… The world’s largest casino: The Venetian. Nestled within the spectacular Venetian Macao Resort, the Venetian casino boasts a gambling space of almost 600,000 square feet, with 3,400 slot machines and 800 gambling tables, spread across four themed gaming areas. While there, you should make a point to hang around the Venice-themed ‘Grand Canal shoppes’, one of Macau’s most extravagant shopping and dining complexes.