Feeling Lucky

High Stakes & Superstitions.

- Terri Morrison

 

Dr. Desmond Lam is a whale. Not because of his girth, but because of his worth to casinos. Casinos love Professor Lam because he’s a high roller, and an industry expert. He teaches, writes about gaming, and understands why nearly 25 million Chinese gamblers cram into little Macau each year (which is 1/6 the size of Washington, DC).

Here are three of his reasons why so many Chinese bet the farm in Macau:

1) The Chinese love to gamble. It does not matter if you’re playing Baccarat (Baak ga lok in Cantonese), Black Jack, Sic Bo, or Mahjongg with your grandmother - it’s all good. (Over 60 Chinese movies feature gambling, including “The God of Gamblers” which starred Chow Yun Fat, from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”).

2) Casinos are prohibited on mainland China. But they are permitted in the former Portuguese colony of Macau (now a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China). Today, Macau is the largest gaming city in the world.