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Macao and Globalization: A Gambling Perspective

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Gambling Dynamism

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Abstract

Macao (in English spelling) or Macau (in Portuguese spelling) is situated on the coast of southern China or, to be specific, on the southwestern margin of the Pearl River Delta adjacent to Zhuhai, Guangdong province (Fig. 2.1). It is believed to be the first city in China to have been occupied by Europeans and also the first Chinese city to embrace globalization through the development of worldwide trading routes. In addition, Macao witnessed the earliest and longest-lasting encounters between China and the West, and is praised to this day as being a unique blend of Western culture and Chinese civilization. In a number of recent surveys on world cities, Macao ranked at the very top of the list in terms of per capita GDP and attractiveness to young artists (Clark and Moonen 2011, p. 45; Flavorwire 2011; McKinsey Global Institute 2011, p. 3). Whatever the indicator, it is certain that Macao is an extraordinary city that is worthy of more in-depth study.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Around 92.4 % of the population are of Chinese ethnicity, 0.6 % are of Portuguese ethnicity, 0.7 % are of mixed Chinese/Portuguese descent (usually referred to as Macanese), and over 6 % are of other ethnicities (DSEC 2012b, p. 11).

  2. 2.

    For detailed information and analyses about Sino-Portuguese conflicts that have erupted in Macao, please refer to the discussions in Montalto de Jesus (1984), Fok (1978), and Wu et al. (2009).

  3. 3.

    In both the Ming and Qing dynasties, the coastal areas of China were frequently attacked by Chinese and Japanese pirates. Hence, any measure that could enhance the defense of these areas seemed to be something that the authorities were willing to consider (Lamas 1998, p. 19; Hao 2011, p. 65).

  4. 4.

    For more examples of “festival gambling”, please refer to such classics of Chinese literature as the Dream of the Red Chamber (Cao 1929), Water Margin (Shi 1976), and Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Pu 2006).

  5. 5.

    As Portugal was a predominantly Catholic country, gambling had also been made unlawful by the Portuguese government.

  6. 6.

    A Portuguese-style lottery was introduced in Macao in 1810 for the purpose of raising money for charity (Wu et al. 2009, p. 1319). However, in the beginning, this sort of lottery did not attract many participants.

  7. 7.

    As can be seen, gambling was made legal in Macao under special historical and economic circumstances. Macao’s economy was in drastic decline after the opening of Hong Kong, so the Portuguese court agreed that the Macao Portuguese government could take the necessary pragmatic measures to rescue the territory from the severe economic downturn that it was experiencing. Nor could the Qing court intervene, as it had lost its control over Macao after China’s defeat in the Opium War. Ultimately, what was introduced as an economic crutch became the pillar of the territory’s economy. The liminal status that Macao enjoyed seemed to be the critical factor that contributed to the continuous growth of its gambling business.

  8. 8.

    For example, during the period 1920–1927, the population nearly doubled from 83,984 to 157,175 (DSEC 1998, p. 101).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

    Victor Zheng & Po-san Wan

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  1. Victor Zheng
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Zheng, V., Wan, Ps. (2014). Macao and Globalization: A Gambling Perspective. In: Gambling Dynamism. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40749-9_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40749-9_2

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