Visa Restrictions from China Sharply Hit Macau’s Growth
Macau’s growth has been sharply hit as anti-corruption regulations in China, along with a ban on smoking in the Macau casinos and visa restrictions for gambling in Macau
Macau: New Chip off the Old Block
The former Portuguese colony, set against the seas of south China, already has its own take on picturesque Venice, blended perfectly with the pomp and splendour of Las Vegas.
Sheldon Adelson – The Man, The Entrepreneur
With Forbes estimating his net worth as $39 billion in January 2014, Sheldon Adelson is undoubtedly the most successful entrepreneur the casino industry has ever seen. A college dropout, who went on to become a self-made multibillionaire, Adelson is also known for his philanthropic pursuits.
Stanley Ho – The Man Who Transforms Dreams into Reality
He is 91, and is called the casino mogul of Macau, an administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. Stanley Ho Hung-sun, the man who fought all odds, survived a family bankruptcy and war, now called as the richest person in Macau. It is estimated that, this university dropout now owns enterprises that employ almost one fourth of the workforce of Macau.
Gaming Trends & Casino Industry Predictions for 2013
A look at the overall trends in the casino industry for this year does not throw too many surprises at us. The gaming centers in Asia-Pacific continue to represent the present and the future of gambling – worldwide.
Some of the Best Casinos Across the Globe
Prior to the worldwide economic downturn, the global casino industry was surging ahead, seemingly unstoppable. Growth records were set between 2004 and 2008, with gross gaming revenues jumping 24% during these four years to US$358.0 billion.
Singapore – The Perfect Counterpart to Macau
Despite being around for merely a couple of years and with barely two casinos, the revenues of Singapore’s gaming industry are set to surpass the revenues of the Las Vegas Strip. Hard to believe, but true!
When the Singapore government, known for its stringent legal and moral conduct, issued licenses to a couple of casinos in 2010, it took the world by surprise. The initial idea was to enhance the experience of tourists and provide them with a wide range of entertainment options and services. The strategy was to boost the tourism of the island.
Macau’s Casino Industry: Driving the Economy!
When it surpassed Las Vegas as the world’s biggest gambling industry in 2006, that too by a huge margin (more than 5 times the revenue of Las Vegas), it left everyone amazed. And since then Macau’s gaming industry hasn’t looked back.
With a land area of 29 sq kms, Macau’s natural environment lacks major resources like forests or woodlands, arable land and pastures. This makes Macau’s its economy largely dependent on the service industry, of which a large share of the inflows is generated by the tourism and gaming industries.
Asian Casino Industry: A Good Bet?
Despite most countries across the globe struggling to emerge from depression and financial crisis, the Asian casino industry has something to cheer about and celebrate. The gambling industry is severely impacted by any slump in the economy. The reason is that gambling revenues are totally driven by consumer spending behaviours, which in turn is dependent heavily on disposable income. While the casino industry has been hit by the economic downturn, the projections for Asia are far from dismal.
Rakesh Wadhwa. Ever since, I was a school boy, I knew India was on the wrong path. Socialism was just not what we needed to get ahead. Government controlled our travel; government controlled our ability to buy and sell; and government controlled our freedom to move our money. My life has focused on the inherent rights people have. When I was in college, I never understood, what the governments meant by their "socialistic attitude". If people are free to buy, sell and move their capital themselves without any restrictions by state, then the welfare of people is inevitable & hence the countries they live in will become wealthy. The government has no right whatsoever, to point a finger at me or my business. I am not a revolutionary. I just want to light up my cigarette and not get nagged about it. I believe in non-interfering attitude to attain more. 
The Bastiat Award is a journalism award, given annually by the International Policy Network, London. Bastiat Prize entries are judged on intellectual content, the persuasiveness of the language used and the type of publication in which they appear. Rakesh Wadhwa won the 3rd prize (a cash award of $1,000 and a candlestick), in 2006.
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