Kosupa Travel

Hello, this is Aressa, a travel blogger! Today, I’m writing an introductory article about Macau travel, a popular destination alongside Hong Kong.

When you think of Macau, the image of luxurious casinos probably comes to mind. When I actually went to Macau, there were 24-hour casinos towering everywhere, and it’s no exaggeration to say that there were more of them than convenience stores. Since I’ve come all the way to Macau, I wanted to at least enter a casino and challenge myself to some nail-biting gambling, even if just for the atmosphere, facing off against a dealer. However, I wasn’t quite sure about the etiquette in the casino, the budget for gambling funds, the rates, or how to use them. From these thoughts, as a complete gambling novice, I actually jumped into a casino, so I’d like to write a beginner-friendly report based on my real experiences.

For those trying out a casino in Macau for the first time, I’ve summarized 7 topics that will allow you to enjoy the casino with peace of mind if you know just these! If you’re interested, please feel free to use this as a reference!

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1. Atmosphere and Dress Code

First, let’s talk about the atmosphere in the casino. From movie depictions, aren’t you imagining casinos as luxurious spaces where guests are required to wear appropriate formal attire like fancy suits and dresses? Indeed, many casinos in Macau have glittering gold exteriors and interiors, but it’s no exaggeration to say that there’s almost no dress code.

Macau is in a tropical region, and it’s far too hot to wear fancy suits. Most of the customers playing in Macau’s casinos are tourists from China or Hong Kong, and everyone is dressed in cool, casual clothes like T-shirts or polo shirts, with many people even coming to play in sandals. It might be a bit of a dream-breaker, but the general appearance of the customers isn’t much different from a Japanese pachinko parlor (laughs)

By the way, the security at the entrance isn’t like being glared at by burly men… it’s more like a security gate check at an overseas department store. They welcome visitors even just for sightseeing, so if you’re not interested in gambling but want to experience the atmosphere as a tourist, you can peek inside without hesitation.

2. Learn Sic Bo and Blackjack

However, when you go to a casino, let’s not just enjoy the atmosphere but also learn the rules of the games and actually participate. While there are many table games in casinos such as roulette, baccarat, and poker, among the most popular games in Macau, Sic Bo and Blackjack are relatively easy to understand and recommended for beginners.

Sic Bo is the most popular game in Macau casinos, where you bet on the outcome or high/low of three dice. It’s a so-called “luck game,” so you don’t need to devise complicated strategies, and you can win about 50% of the time even with random guesses. There are no difficult rules to remember, so even absolute beginners can easily participate, and you can fully enjoy the casino atmosphere through interactions with the dealer.

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Blackjack, a type of card game, is recommended for those who want to try a more strategic game. Sic Bo is purely a game of luck, so it might not be satisfying for those who want to control their fate a bit more with their own decisions or want to experience the atmosphere of battling head-to-head with the dealer. On the other hand, Blackjack has relatively simple rules but is rich in strategy, so you’re sure to fully enjoy the casino feeling.

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Also, before actually participating in these games at the casino, I recommend installing online games on your smartphone to get used to the progression!

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Side note ①: Poker in Macau casinos refers to “Texas Hold’em”

By the way, the poker game offered in Macau casinos is not the Five-Card Draw Poker that’s familiar in everyday life in Japan. Even in the recent John Wick movie “Consequence,” there was a depiction of Five-Card Draw Poker being played, but in reality, the most mainstream poker in casinos today is a different type of poker game called “Texas Hold’em” that uses community cards. Compared to Five-Card Draw Poker, the rules are a bit more complex, so you need to learn them in advance. It’s a game that’s difficult to master at first sight, so don’t jump in carelessly just because you know the rules of Five-Card Draw Poker.

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3. Prepare Your Gambling Funds in Hong Kong Dollars

If you think you’re ready to go to the casino after all this preparation, are you planning to go empty-handed? You can’t use credit cards inside the casino, so you need to prepare your gambling funds in cash in advance.

Prepare your cash not in the local currency, Macau Pataca, but in Hong Kong Dollars. You might wonder why Hong Kong Dollars in Macau, but Hong Kong Dollars circulate normally in Macau city, and they are used as the standard currency in Macau casinos as well.

So, how much gambling funds should you prepare to feel secure?

4. There’s a Minimum Bet Amount

Are you thinking naively that you just want to experience the casino atmosphere, so you’ll only bring $20 as gambling funds? Casinos have set minimum bets (the amount of money wagered per game) for each game, and Macau casinos are known worldwide for their high minimum bets. Specifically, table games with dealers have high rates of at least 300 Hong Kong Dollars, which is about $40 as of January 2024 at the current exchange rate. In other words, for games like Blackjack or Baccarat, you could lose $40 yen in just about a minute in a single game. Whether you win or lose of course depends largely on luck, but you’d want to continue for at least a few games to enjoy the casino atmosphere to some extent, right? So, you’ll need at least $150 to $200 as gambling funds.

By the way, bet amounts differ by table even within the same casino, so carefully observe the minimum bet amount listed on the table and try to sit at a table with a lower bet amount.

5. Choosing the Right Casino is Important

Even though there are casinos everywhere in Macau, it’s taboo to jump into the casino right in front of you without doing any research. In fact, I myself visited the casino attached to my hotel but ended up leaving without doing anything.

This is because some casinos have high minimum bet amounts set, with some at 500 Hong Kong Dollars or even 1000 Hong Kong Dollars. As a beginner, you’d want to go to a casino with the lowest possible bet amount. Also, some casinos might not have the game you’re looking for, or even if they do, the minimum bet amount might be set unreasonably high, creating unfavorable conditions.

Try to research in advance what the minimum bet amount is at the casino you’re planning to visit, and if possible, for each game. By the way, as far as I checked, Grand Lisboa had a minimum bet of 300 Hong Kong Dollars for both Blackjack and Sic Bo.

Side note ②: About Slots

You can challenge slot machines and mechanical games without dealers at a lower bet amount than usual, but gambling with machines is essentially the same as Japanese pachislot. If you’ve come all the way to Macau and end up focusing on slots, it’s the same as playing pachislot in Japan. You can’t experience the casino atmosphere.

In reality, table games with live human dealers might seem daunting for introverted Japanese people. Even in videos from travel YouTubers I subscribe to, they often introduce “I challenged gambling at a casino” but actually only played slots, and I think there are many Japanese people who go to Macau casinos and only play slots before returning.

Honestly, even for well-traveled people, trying table games for the first time can be intimidating, and it might be a game that shy Japanese people can easily approach. But if you want to enjoy the casino atmosphere, even if it means betting a slightly higher amount, wouldn’t you want to face off against a dealer and experience a tense moment as if you’ve entered a Hong Kong movie? It might be a bit embarrassing, but I recommend challenging yourself to table games and experiencing a genuine casino atmosphere that you can never taste in Japan!

6. The Flow When Participating in Table Games

Once you’ve finally entered the casino, before participating in a game, first exchange your cash for chips. Chips are like vouchers within the casino, used when participating in games or when cashing out later.

After exchanging your gambling funds for chips, let’s participate in a game right away. When participating in a game, if there’s an empty seat at your desired table, just sit down and wait for one game to end. It’s okay to sit even in the middle of a game. If there are no empty seats, you can either wait for someone to leave or, in the case of Sic Bo, you might be able to participate from a standing position.

When the previous game ends, the dealer will gesture for you to place your chips in the betting area on the table. Once you place the number of chips you want to bet, your participation is complete. Once you’ve placed your chips and the game has started, you can’t withdraw your chips or change the amount, even if you change your mind. If you win the game, your chips will increase at the end, and if you lose, all the chips you bet will be confiscated. If you want to stop playing, say “Thank you” and leave the table promptly. By the way, there’s no need to feel rude or embarrassed if you don’t participate in several consecutive games. Also, interactions with the dealer are carried out solely through gestures, so it’s not a problem at all if you can’t speak English or Cantonese.

7. No Photography Allowed Inside the Casino

And lastly, an important point. In Macau casinos, video and photo shooting are strictly prohibited inside the premises. In casinos, cameras might be used for cheating, so taking photos is strictly forbidden regardless of the purpose to prevent fraud. If you violate this rule, you may be severely scolded by security, or in the worst case, you might be kicked out (I actually tried to film without knowing at first and was severely scolded by security). It’s an overseas trip, and you might be full of desire to capture the luxurious casino interior in photos or videos, but let’s show manners and respect, refrain from using cameras, and instead fully enjoy the experience.

How was it?

Above, I’ve introduced 7 topics that you should know at minimum to enjoy a casino with peace of mind for those trying a casino in Macau for the first time. According to enthusiasts, the more you get into casinos and gambling, the deeper it gets, but I personally thought I’d be satisfied just to enjoy the casino atmosphere, so I only prepared $150 as gambling funds. Please enjoy your casino experience at your own pace without overdoing it!