Recreating Macau in the Image of Las Vegas
Will Cultural Globalization
Come Home to Roost?
Abstract
Casino gambling has become an important part o f American popular
culture. It has also become a cultural commodity’ that can be
exported. This paper examines the frenzied development currently
underway in the city o f Macau, the former Portuguese colony that
was returned to China in 1999. The small territory' o f Macau has
Jong been known as a center fo r casino gambling in Asia. But since
2002, American investment has entered the scene in an effort to
recreate the city’ in the image o f Las Vegas. We consider what is
happening in Macau as an example o f cultural globalization, a
concept that refers to cultural hegemony by powerful nations over
weaker ones, leading to the homogenization o f cultures in the
likeness o f the powerful nations. We discuss the histoiy o f Macau, the
development it is now undergoing, the potential fo r Macau to surpass
Las Vegas as the world's most profitable center fo r gambling
revenue, and implications o f Macau's growth fo r the concept o f
cultural globalization. We suggest that cultural globalization may be
a two-way process and that the success o f Macau may force Las
Vegas to change in order to remain competitive fo r Asian gamblers.
A casino boom has echoed across America, from its epicenter in Las
Vegas to the far-flung Indian reservations dotting the land. This historic
expansion is both a reflection of the transformation of the casino business itself
and the changes in social mores since the late 20th century. Casinos today are
more than venues for games of chance; they are also resorts for spa treatment,
high-end entertainment, and culinary delights. Concomitantly, public attitude
has shifted, and visiting casinos is now a respectable pastime for all social
classes, not just a leisure diversion for the rich or a last chance for those who
want to be rich. As casino gambling has moved into the mainstream of
American popular culture, it has also become a commodity that is exportable,
just like so many other American cultural exports—Levi Jeans, Coca Colas,
MTV, Starbucks, and the ubiquitous McDonald’s.
Globally, three premier gambling capitals stand out across the
continents: In addition to Las Vegas in North America, there are Monte Carlo in
Europe and Macau in Asia. Of the three, Las Vegas tops the list in terms of total
revenue, number of casinos, and volume of visitors. Macau, so far the least
glamorous of the three, is attempting to remake itself into a tourist-friendly