Like its Las Vegas cousin, The Venetian casino in Macau offers gondola rides along a garish imitation of the Grand Canal, but it is the gambling that pulls in the punters. Crowds congregate around spinning roulette wheels and baccarat tables under the strip-light glare of the gaming floor. Amid the fruit machine jingles, the flashing neon and the flutter of chips and cards, some play the role of gawping, detached spectator, while others try their luck. The atmosphere is far from festive but then Macau’s gambling industry is, and always has been, a serious business.
与同为赌城的拉斯维加斯(Las Vegas)一样，游客也可以乘坐贡多拉船，沿着澳门威尼斯人酒店(Venetian Casino)内精心仿照的大运河泛舟一番，但吸引赌客纷至沓来的却是它的赌场。在赌场地面炫丽条形照明灯的映照下，在飞转的轮盘赌与纸牌赌桌前，人头攒动、人满为患。在老虎机的丁当声响、闪烁的霓虹灯以及你来我往的筹码与纸牌中，有些游客超然地驻足凝视，而有些游客则想一试手气。整个赌场犹如过节狂欢一般，不过，澳门的博彩业一直可是正经合法行当。