Still, the true beginning of this era didn’t come until Stanely Ho appeared in the 1960s and monopolized gambling in the city.

Macao took its first steps towards becoming the world’s casino capital in the nineteen-twenties. When discussing modern Macao, it’s impossible not to mention the father of all modern Macao gambling: Stanley Ho. Stanley Ho and the modern Macao gambling scene In 1999, the province was returned to the People’s Republic of China after 442 years. Macao was in the hands of the Portuguese until the end of the millennium. In fact, Camilo Pessanha – a Portuguese poet who lived in Macao at the beginning of the 20th century – described the city as a “material and moral rubbish heap.” Back then, it was a dangerous place controlled by local gangs and criminals, with casinos that were nothing like modern gambling rooms. Nonetheless, the Macao casinos of today have little to no connection with Macao from the past. The Portuguese used the port for trading, which helped them establish the trade route between the Mediterranean and the Far East.ĭuring the Portuguese rule over Macao, the first casinos were established to produce additional income for the Portuguese royal family. At the time, the city was an undeveloped port, given over to the Portuguese by the Chinese as compensation for helping them reduce the pirate threat in the region. Macao was a Portuguese colony for over four centuries since the Portuguese conquistadors raised their flag over Macao in 1557. Of course, they were nothing like today’s luxurious and shiny casinos instead, these houses were hidden, seedy spots with even seedier hosts.

Macao was a Portuguese colony when the first gambling venues started arising in this city. To find out more about its history and how it became the number one gambling spot on the planet, read on! However, even for many seasonal gamblers, Macao remains a mystery. With 41 casinos and gambling houses, the city-state generated $7.61 billion from its gambling industry in 2020. What place do you think of when someone says “the world’s casino capital”? Do you think of Las Vegas, or maybe Monte Carlo? Many people would say that it is the notorious city in Nevada, but Macao is the actual gambling capital of the world.

Where was the world's first casino