The latest giant casino to be launched by the US billionaire Sheldon Adelson has just opened its doors in Macau, China.
The complex cost $4.4 billion to build and is called Sands Cotai Central. The opening bash included traditional Chinese dancing and a stunning high wire demonstration. There was also the unveiling of an incredible statue called God of Fortune, which is made of bronze and gold and weighs 2,500 kilograms.
The casino complex had been due to open a few years ago but a lack of local workers and the economic crisis held it up considerably. However, that didn’t dampen the party atmosphere when Sands Cotai Central finally opened. Reports suggest that the queue of people waiting to get in began to form five hours before the time of the grand opening.
A Himalayan Theme
Once they entered, the casino’s first customers were greeted by a Himalayan mountain theme, with giant rocks and atmospheric paintings scattered around it.
The initial phase of the casino complex includes 340 tables and 40 VIP rooms in it. The plan is to add an additional 200 tables. This is now the 35th casino in Macau, which is the only part of China which allows legal gambling. It is experiencing a boom right now and in the first quarter of this year casino revenue in Macau shot up by 27%, which follows on from an even bigger 42% rise in 2011.
The majority of gamblers in the area are wealthy businessmen who make the trip over from mainland China to try their luck in one of the region’s giant casinos. It is expected to be at least 3 more years before any more new casinos are opened there.
