Cards Under the Table: Macau’s Economy

posted May 6, 2015 in

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The island of Macau is about an hour boat-ride away from Hong Kong, but it feels like an entirely different place.  As the gambling capital of the world, Macau is dominated by the casino industry.  While these casinos do bring in large sums of money, some people argue that these casinos really are not that beneficial for the residents of Macau.  However, some casinos are losing money, which is impacting the economy.  The revenue decline began in June 2014 and is still continuing.  Many people believe this drop is because of the Chinese government's crackdown on corruption and they are hopeful that revenue will begin to climb again soon.

Reporter Marielena Balouris traveled to Macau to find out more about how the casinos impact the island's economy.  She spoke with three professors from three different universities -- Penn State University, the University of Macau, and Macau University of Science and Technology -- who are all experts in the gaming industry.