The Best Sports Betting Sites in Macau for 2023

Horse Racing

Horse racing was first introduced in Macau in the form of trotting, which ultimately never took off. Because of the lack of interest in trotting, the Macau Trotting Club was transformed to the Macau Jockey Club in 1989.

The main course is on Taipa Island. The original trotting track has been kept and now forms the inner sand loop on the course, with the thoroughbred racing carried out on a larger turf track.

Each year there are several highlights in the racing calendar, with the Macau Gold Cup, the Macau Derby and the Chairman’s Challenge Cup enticing hordes of punters from April through to the summer. There are over 200 on-course betting terminals that allow punters to place bets, and these are complimented with roughly 80 off-course terminals located around Macau.

Football

Football is a massive gambling sport and pass time in Asia, and it is enjoyed by many in Macau. Although the domestic Liga de Elite doesn’t attract much betting interest, citizens of Macau can have a financial interest in leagues throughout the world.

Macau Slot offers betting odds on matches from Italy to Spain to the Champions League, and by far most attention is paid to the English Premier League. With top teams such as Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United having a significant commercial presence in Asia, and with most matches being televised each week, it is easy to see where the interest develops from.

Basketball

Basketball garners interest from the public in Macau. The national team unsurprisingly have cut little ice, with their biggest achievement to date being participating in the FIBA Asia Championship. There are many non-professional leagues in Macau and interest in top competitions such as the FIBA Basketball World Cup and National Basketball Association (NBA) are high.

Poker

Believe it or not, poker is in fact considered a sport – a mind sport. Macau is home to the biggest poker cash games you’ll find anywhere on the planet. Top professionals such as Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan spend long periods of time in Macau playing up to 48 hours at a time against rich entrepreneurs who enjoy the game, and who the professionals see as easy money.

The best online gambling sites in Macau allow you to switch between sports betting and poker with the click of a button. The poker client will list many cash tables with table limits to suit players of all levels, and tournaments with varying entry fees and prize pools start every few minutes.

Taxing Gambling Operators Pays Off

By 1877, the government realised that they could benefit from the turnover generated through gambling and imposed a tax on operators. Control of the games went to tender, with the highest bidder gaining profits but paying tax to the government.

Roulette clubs were introduced to Macau in the early twentieth century and their introduction threw the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons as there was no tax or tender system in place for this new form of wagering. A few years before the Second World War the problem was solved, as all games of chance were placed under the same banner and were to be controlled by the highest bidder.

Macau Becomes the Gambling Capital of the World

Post-war in 1949, neighbouring China outlawed gambling. This provided a significant incentive for Macau to keep a relaxed and free gambling market, as it would attract tourism from China, with players who wanted to satisfy their betting inclinations able to legally do so whilst visiting. By the early 1960s, it was established that Macau would focus primarily on gambling and tourism for its income.

From 1962, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macao ran a monopoly on the gaming industry in Macau, with games such as Fantan, Baccarat, and Blackjack being licenced in casinos. The monopoly lasted for around forty years, until, shortly after China regained control, the Macau Gaming Committee offered three gaming concessions to different companies, to stimulate competition and innovation.

Over the next decade, the number of casinos expanded significantly in size, and there are now over 40 casinos operating in what has become the gambling capital of the world.

The Role of Macau’s Junkets

With most visitors to Macau being Chinese, how does the casino industry generate so much revenue given that China only allows 20,000 yuan ($3,200) to be moved out of the mainland at any one time (up to a maximum of $50,000 a year)? The simple answer is junkets.

Junkets act as a medium for high rollers to move their money. Players can credit bet in Macau and settle in the mainland with these agents, or they can transfer their funds whilst in China and have it laundered across. Either way, with no legal way of enforcing gambling debts, problems can arise.

We strongly recommend betting with the Macau Jockey Club, Macau Slot, or one of our recommended sites to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable experience betting on your favourite sports.