The 39-storey Venetian Macao is the biggest establishment in the region and the second largest casino in the world (the first being the Casino di Campione, Italy) standing across 35,000 square metres.Įach one of Macau’s casinos is a mini replica of a renowned global city as the name suggests, the Venetian is a stunning copy of Italy’s famous ‘Floating City’, complete with canals and gondolas that carry visitors around the resort, and exquisite architecture emulating Venice’s landmarks. But today casinos are synonymous with the Chinese territory and a cornerstone of its economy (casinos make up over 50 per cent of Macau’s economy). The Portuguese government – which controlled Macau until 1999 – considered gambling illegal in the region up until the 1850s. Close Venetian Macao – Macau Macau is the capital of casinos and gambling in east Asia / Image: Shutterstock
