The 20 World's Biggest Casinos

Giant Macao Casinos Dwarf Those in Vegas

By Manuel Baigorri

The economic crisis is taking its toll on the casino and entertainment industry, as the world's biggest casinos have for the last year struggled to keep their gaming machines and tables humming. Macao, the former Portuguese colony on the south China coast, has felt the impact of the slowdown but now the Chinese economy is reviving, providing hope to owners of the world's two biggest gambling palaces, the Venetian Macao and the brand-new City of Dreams. While those resorts get most of the attention, Macao is now home to five of the world's 10 largest casinos. Tops in the U.S. is Foxwoods, in Connecticut. For more on the 20 biggest casinos (according to data provided by Newton Centre (Mass.)-based Casino City),

In Macao, Betting on a Poker Boom

The most popular games in China's gambling hub are baccarat, blackjack, and roulette, but some Macao entrepreneurs want to add poker

In the casinos of Macao, the only city in China with legalized gambling, the most popular games have long been baccarat, blackjack, and roulette. Matt Savage wants to get Chinese betters focusing on straight flushes and full houses instead. Savage is director of the Asian Poker Tour, which recently completed a 12-day poker tournament for local and Western players at Macao's StarWorld Hotel & Casino. He says poker is growing rapidly in the former Portuguese colony—albeit with a different atmosphere. "You see a lot more people jumping up and getting very excited, which you don't see in the U.S. all the time," says Savage. "It has become more exciting for the players to play here."

Think of gambling, and Las Vegas comes first to mind. But recession has hurt America's longtime casino hub: Revenues on the Strip dropped 15% in the first half of the year, following a record-setting 11% drop in 2008. Macao is hurting, too: For the first half of 2009, gaming revenues dropped 12%, to $6.5 billion. But big-name gaming companies like Las Vegas Sands (LVS) and Wynn (WYNN) are counting on Macao for growth. In 2008, the city's casinos reported revenue of $16 billion, compared with $12 billion for Vegas and $5 billion for Atlantic City.

The Asian Poker Tournament, held this year on Aug. 12-23, is Asia's biggest, attracting players as well as Internet qualifiers who join online. The majority of the 350 to 450 players in this pokerfest came from Hong Kong, Macao, mainland China, and other parts of Asia—as well as some from Europe and the U.S. According to the organizers, this year's tournament attracted many more locals compared with a year ago. Eventually, the goal of the Asian Poker Tour is to expand across the region, says Savage. Poker "is really growing globally," he says. "It's an exciting time."

Fast Expansion

What seems to be clear is that poker has a huge potential for growth in Asia. Tom Hall, executive vice-chairman and CEO of AsianLogic, the Hong Kong company that owns and operates the Asian tour, recalls how the expansion started in the Philippines and Korea and is now picking up in mainland China as well. "Three years ago there were no poker rooms in Macao," says Hall, who points out that there are now 60 tables at three casinos: the Wynn and Lisboa as well as StarWorld.

During the latest 12-day festival of poker, professional players came to Macao from the U.S. for the first time. Among them was Guangzhou, China-born Johnny Chan, who became the first player to win 10 World Series of Poker titles. Another was J.C. Tran, a 32-year-old pro poker player from Sacramento who has already won more than $8 million during his career. According to Chan, the Asia tour is special because he gets to experience a different type of poker culture. "It's not like a typical tournament in Las Vegas, where you are up against the pros and you know everyone," says Chan. "These players are playing in a totally different way."

The tournament wasn't limited to the pros. Ciaran Carter, 29, is from Sarnia, Ont., and works for the Canadian government but loves poker so much that he spends up to eight hours a day playing online. Carter says the setting and organization of the Macao tournament was impressive. Even so, he adds as he sips some complimentary white wine given out by the organizers, he had expected to see a "bigger number of participants and more of the world's top players."

Poker may eventually become a new source of revenue for Macao's casinos, but a stroll around the city's main gambling halls during weekdays shows how some of these venues are struggling to keep their tables full and their slot machines humming. American-born Savage notes, however, that the economic crisis "hasn't affected us nearly as bad as in other areas…. Even though the game has, in the U.S., maybe plateaued, around the globe it keeps expanding."

Legal Barriers in Much of Asia

Along with Macao, another market with potential is the Philippines, where a new poker room opens almost monthly. The Asian Poker Tour's first event of 2009 took place there in January with more than 260 participants from over 30 countries. Of the 27 money finishers, 12 were Asian.

The poker industry seems to recognize the potential for further growth, both for land-based as well as online poker operators. But significant entry barriers remain. One of the biggest: Online gaming is illegal in most Asian countries, making it difficult to show poker tournaments on TV to popularize the game. The Philippines, for instance, has become the fastest-growing poker nation in Asia with about 18 poker rooms around the country, thanks in part to TV broadcasts. In the U.S., televised poker "has led to a growth in poker in the casinos and play in the communities," says Hall.

Language is another stumbling block. But Savage says he's optimistic players in Asia can transcend the language barrier. "Poker is an international game," he says. "People learn very early to say raise, bluff, and call."



1. The Venetian Macao

Macao, China



Square feet: 546,000
Gaming machines: 3,000
Table and poker games: 870
Restaurants and bars: 24
Hotel rooms: 3,000
Web site: venetianmacao.com

The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel has become one of the biggest landmarks for gamblers throughout Asia. Controlled by Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas Sands (LVS), the Venetian was the first giant casino to open on Macao's Cotai Strip, an area of reclaimed land offshore from downtown Macao. A stroll around the resort gives you a glance of luxury—and a somewhat weird combination of facilities, attractions, and amenities such as Cirque du Soleil's Zaia show.



2. City of Dreams Resort

Macao, China



Square feet: 420,000
Gaming machines: 1,350
Table and poker games: 520
Restaurants and bars: 14
Hotel rooms: 1,400
Web site: cityofdreamsmacau.com

Recently opened City of Dreams is a $2.1 billion gamble by Melco Crown Entertainment's Lawrence Ho and Australian billionaire James Packer. The resort, located across the street from the Venetian on the Cotai Strip, faces tough odds as Macao gaming revenues have been hit hard by the global economic crisis.



3. Foxwoods Resort Casino

Ledyard, Conn.



Square feet: 340,000
Gaming machines: 7,000
Table and poker games: 400
Restaurants and bars: 29
Hotel rooms: 824
Web site: foxwoods.com

America's biggest casino isn't on the Las Vegas Strip or Atlantic City Boardwalk. Opened in 1986 in western Connecticut, Foxwoods is a complex of six casinos with 17 different types of table games, including 100 for poker. Managed by the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Tribe, Foxwoods benefits from its location within driving distance of New York and Boston. In addition to its casino, the resort has one of the world's largest bingo halls.



4. Casino Ponte 16

Macao, China



Square feet: 270,000
Gaming machines: 320
Table and poker games: 150
Restaurants and bars: 3
Hotel rooms: 423
Web site: ponte16.com.mo

The Ponte 16 is a world-class integrated casino and entertainment resort built along the Inner Harbor of Macao, in the older part of the city. Close to some of Macao's traditional colonial buildings, the resort draws inspiration from the former Portuguese enclave's unique East-West cultural pluralism.



5. Tusk Rio Casino Resort

Klerksdorp, South Africa



Square feet: 266,330
Gaming machines: 257
Table and poker games: 12
Restaurants and bars: 2
Hotel rooms:
Web site: riocasino.co.za

The largest casino in the Southern Hemisphere, the Tusk Rio was inspired by the passion, vibe, and color of the Carnival in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro. The casino is located a few hours by car from Johannesburg and is among the most popular casinos in South Africa.



6. MGM Grand Macao

Macao, China



Square feet: 221,952
Gaming machines: 835
Table and poker games: 410
Restaurants and bars: 12
Hotel rooms: 593
Web site: mgmgrandmacau.com

This 35-story casino resort officially opened in 2007 and is owned and operated as a joint venture between MGM Mirage and Pansy Ho Chiu-King, daughter of local casino mogul Stanley Ho. The resort, located near some of the elder Ho's casinos on the Macao peninsula, plans further expansion, including a future Mandarin Oriental hotel.



7. Sands Macao

Macao, China



Square feet: 229,000
Gaming machines: 750
Table and poker games: 1,000
Restaurants and bars: 7
Hotel rooms: 51
Web site: www.sands.com.mo

Before Sheldon Adelson opened his giant Venetian hotel and casino on the Cotai Strip, Las Vegas Sands made its first foray into China's gambling hub with the Sands Macao. The hotel, located in peninsular Macao, was designed by the Paul Steelman Design Group and opened in 2004. Today it is a day-trip destination for thousands of visitors, mainly from mainland China and Hong Kong.



8. MGM Grand Las Vegas

Las Vegas



Square feet: 170,000
Gaming machines: 2,300
Table and poker games: 178
Restaurants and bars: 20
Hotel rooms: 5,044
Web site: mgmgrand.com

This luxury hotel first opened in 1993 as a Hollywood themed resort and is one of the largest hotels in the world. Operated by publicly traded MGM Mirage (MGM), this 30-floor, 293-foot-high complex has five outdoor pools, rivers and waterfalls.



9. Casino Lisboa

Lisbon, Portugal



Square feet: 165,000
Gaming machines: 1,000
Table and poker games: 26
Restaurants and bars: 7
Hotel rooms: 1,000
Web site: casino-lisboa.pt

Located at Lisbon's Park Of The Nations, Casino Lisboa is a major landmark in Portugal's capital city and the largest casino in Europe. The Lisboa, which opened to the public in 2006, is owned by Estoril-Sol, whose major stakeholder is Hong Kong-based gambling mogul Stanley Ho, who also operates a Lisboa in Macao.



10. Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa

Atlantic City



Square feet: 161,000
Gaming machines: 4,100
Table and poker games: 285
Restaurants and bars: 17
Hotel rooms: 2,002
Web site: theborgata.com

It may be called "little village"—as its name means in Italian—but the Borgata is anything but small. The $1.1 billion hotel, casino, and spa is the largest resort in Atlantic City. This mammoth gambling center opened in 2003 and is owned by Marina District Development Corp., a subsidiary of Boyd Gaming (BYD), which operates casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas as well as Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, and Mississippi.



11. Bellagio

Las Vegas



Square feet: 155,000
Gaming machines: 2,449
Table and poker games: 207
Restaurants and bars: 20
Hotel rooms: 3,933
Web site: bellagio.com

Located on the Las Vegas Strip and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, the Bellagio is a luxury hotel and casino owned by MGM Mirage (MGM). Opened in 1995, the Bellagio is inspired by the Lake Como resort of the same name in Italy. In addition to its casino, it has more than 200,000 square feet of meeting and convention facilities.



12. Caesars Atlantic City

Atlantic City



Square feet: 145,100
Gaming machines: 3,027
Table and poker games: 163
Restaurants and bars: 11
Hotel rooms: 1,140
Web site: caesarsac.com

Caesars Atlantic City is the East Coast flagship of Harrah's Entertainment, which acquired Caesars Entertainment, parent of famed Las Vegas casino-hotel Caesars Palace as well as Caesars Atlantic City, in 2005. Harrah's now operates or manages casino resorts on four continents.



13. Starworld Hotel & Casino

Macao, China



Square feet: 140,000
Gaming machines: 500
Table and poker games: 284
Restaurants and bars: 7
Hotel rooms: 507
Web site: starworldmacau.com/eng/starworld

It may not be one of the larger resorts in Macao, but the Starworld doesn't disappoint. The resort provides dazzling decor and superior services for its guests, which in part made it win the 5-Star Diamond Award granted by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences in 2008.



14. The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino

Las Vegas



Square feet: 120,000
Gaming info: 3,086
Table and poker games: 309
Restaurants and bars: 18
Hotel rooms: 4,027
Web site: venetian.com

Can't make it to Italy? The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, owned by Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas Sands, offers States-side tourists the chance to ride gondolas on a quarter-mile recreation of the city's Grand Canal. The hotel boasts more than 4,000 suites, an 85,000-square-foot ballroom and 19 restaurants. It has a Madame Tussaud's wax museum and its theater is the Vegas home of the Blue Man Group.



15. Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino

Paradise, Nev.



Square feet: 120,000
Gaming machines: 1,245
Table and poker games: 104
Restaurants and bars: 18
Hotel rooms: 2,500
Web site: riolasvegas.com

Known as The Rio, this casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in the unincorporated area of Paradise, Nev. It made a splash in 2008 by teaming up with a local gentlemen's club to open what the Rio called a "European style" topless pool. Last month, however, the hotel announced it was suspending operation of the pool following a visit by local police.



16. Wynn Las Vegas

Las Vegas,



Square feet: 110,000
Gaming machines: 1,900
Table and poker games: 167
Restaurants and bars: 22
Hotel rooms: 2,716
Web site: wynnlasvegas.com

This $2.7 billion resort is the flagship property of billionaire Steve Wynn's Wynn Resorts (WYNN). It features an 18-hole golf course (co-designed by Wynn himself) complete with a 37-foot waterfall next to the final hole. Wynn is in the midst of a divorce and he and his wife, Elaine, recently sold more than $200 million in company stock.



17. Wynn Macao

Macao, China



Square feet: 100,000
Gaming machines: 1,270
Table and poker games: 390
Restaurants and bars: 6
Hotel rooms: 600
Web site: wynnmacau.com

Following the decision by the local government to end the longtime monopoly of local tycoon Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn was the first to open a Vegas-style resort in the Chinese city. His Wynn Macao, opened in 2006, features a sound-and-light show on a "Performance Lake" containing 800,000 gallons of water. Armani, Boss, and Chanel are among the designers with shops in the Wynn's arcade.



18. Resorts Atlantic City

Atlantic City



Square feet: 100,000
Gaming machines: 2,500
Table and poker games: 95
Restaurants and bars: 8
Hotel rooms: 942
Web site: resortsac.com

This casino and spa complex was the first to open in Atlantic City after New Jersey legalized casino gambling in 1978. However, Resorts has suffered from the economic downturn as well as from competition from Native American-owned casinos in the Northeast. In August, the hotel's owner, Colony Capital, asked the state to approve the transfer of its stake to its lenders, including Credit Suisse (CS).



19. Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino

Atlantic City



Square feet: 91,181
Gaming machines: 2,137
Table and poker games: 105
Restaurants and bars: 12
Hotel rooms: 728
Web site: trumpplaza.com

This Trump-branded casino-hotel designed by architect Martin Stern opened in 1984, but The Donald lost control of it in 2005 when it emerged from a second stint in Chapter 11. Trump and his daughter Ivanka are now trying to retake control of the Plaza and two other Atlantic City hotels, vowing to pour money into an effort to spiff them up.



20. Gold Coast Hotel and Casino

Las Vegas



Square feet: 86,600
Gaming machines: 2,100
Table and poker games: 59
Restaurants and bars: 9
Hotel rooms: 711
Web site: goldcoastcasino.com

Located one mile west of the Las Vegas Strip, this casino is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming, which also operates the Borgata in Atlantic City, among many other casinos. The Gold Coast was built in 1986 and had a major upgrade in 2002 that added more restaurants, gaming machines and tables, and parking spots.