Along the same lines as the software companies, operators have a choice as to whether or not they are going to accept players from Macau. This decision usually comes down to two things – regulations and cost of payment processing. Well, we already know that sites at this point won’t be facing any penalty for offering the games (it would be hard for Macau even to charge an operator who is based outside the country). Payment processing is surprisingly easier in Macau than in many other countries. Players are allowed to use their debit cards, and with UnionPay being a common payment solution for other online businesses, operators should have no trouble accepting deposits from players.
When you are looking for a place to play online slots from Macau, you should be looking for sites that are licensed in another jurisdiction. These licenses, especially from the UK and Malta, hold a lot of weight as the regulators are auditing the business practices of the operation on a regular basis. After that, you want to find a site with the games you are looking to play, and if you find a site with multiple software suppliers then even better!
Our reviews take a complete look at all the important aspects of every casino site, which leaves us with a list like the one below of a group of online casinos available to players from Macau that we would highly recommend to our readers!
Gambling Regulations in Macau
Macau is one of the largest gambling destinations in the world, really only coming to Las Vegas regarding size. IN fact, with all the high roller Asian gambling that takes place in the resort-style casinos in this Chinese province, the amount of gaming revenue rivals that of its Western counterpart. However, for a region so focused on gambling, Macau’s interest in regulating online gambling seems to be particularly nonchalant. This page is going to give you all the information you need to know about gambling laws in Macau, and for any of our readers from that region, we will give you a breakdown of what you will find when looking for a place to play.
Macau was a Portuguese territory until it came under Chinese rule in 1999, and the gambling laws that are in effect go back to the days before the transfer of power. As a result, Macau is one of only two Chinese provinces that allows land-based gambling. The region became a haven for gamblers from neighboring China and Hong Kong, as well as many other countries in the area. Also, it drew attention from casino owners from the West, wanting to cash in on this treasure trove of gambling revenue. Before long, there were replicas of some of the biggest resort casinos from Las Vegas dotting the streets of Macau, making it truly the Las Vegas of Asia.
When online casinos started to become part of the landscape in the early 2000s, the Chinese government had a choice to make with regards to licensing. If you have read our page on Chinese gambling laws, you would know that the mainland has no laws regarding online gambling sites. The question was whether or not the government would have a different stance for the provinces where land-based gambling was legal. Although there are two “regulated” online betting sites based in Macau, they are archaic in design and look like they were thrown together in 1999 and left for dead.
There is no licensing of online casinos available in Macau, but that doesn’t mean that players cannot play. Residents can access offshore sites that are willing to take deposits from them, and as long as the site isn’t blocked by a Chines ISP, then it is business as usual. As with mainland China, there does not appear to be any rush to add licensing at this stage so we can consider Macau to be another gray-market region for players, operators and software companies.
Online Casino Software Available to Players in Macau
The good news for players from the Macau province is that with no regulations in place, very few software companies have pulled their games from accessibility in the region. There are no repercussions for offering games to players currently, and if there are changes, then you may expect to see more companies not allow players from Macau. Today, when you are looking through our reviews or just looking for a place to play great online slots and table games, you will find software from these top-level providers:
If you spot any of these logos on a site you are visiting for the first time, you can feel confident that the game selection is going to feature excellent sounds and graphics, and enough themes in the slots catalog to make every type of player happy.
