Art is not the main reason why the majority of visitors to Macau travel there annually. Even though it is also often not even noticed being overshadowed by the brilliance and enormity of the casinos in Macau, it still is some of the most brilliant works in the world. Here are some to appreciate during your next visit to Macau.

In the elevator lobby at Mandarin Oriental Macau, you will find this exquisite work created by the Chinese artist Li Xiaofeng. The artist uses polished broken pieces of porcelain and stitches them together with wire to make various garments from them. She has created a collection of dresses and jackets and even military uniforms. Her idea is inspired by the Chinese tradition of eating rice from a ceramic dish. These broken pieces of dishes converted into clothing links the bowls and the bodies which are fed from them. These garments can technically be worn but is not a practical option for a night out. The casino showcases a dress she made.

MGM Macau

The MGM Macau is the permanent home to two of the Spaniards most revered and recognized sculpted works. Alice in Wonderland is a magnificently beautiful sculpture by Salvador Dali, which is the welcoming feature in the hotel. The author Lewis Caroll had a significant influence on Dali’s creative side, and he was particularly fond of this surreal story about a young girl in another world. Dali has given his twist to Alice, displaying her less innocently as a young girl with her breast exposed in this famous work of art.

His other work of art is displayed in the hotel’s lobby. It is a bronze sculpture known as the Dalian Dancer and was made according to a technique known as lost wax. The statue is placed underneath another brilliant piece called Fiori di Paradiso, which is a hanging ceiling of handblown glass flowers. Dale Chihuly, an American artist, created this.

Wynn Palace

Jeff Koons often gains his inspiration from modern-day influences like pop culture, and he also earned himself the reputation of sometimes being a bit on the controversial side. This work of art was purchased at the hefty price tag of $34 million and resembled bright balloons twisted into shapes of flowers. The entire sculpture is made of high-chromium stainless steel and weighs in at three tons.

For 27 years the English painter, George Chinnery lived in Macau. During this time, he made many paintings on tiles that displayed how life in Macau seemed during that period. These tiles have since then earned a historical value due to the depiction of the social and cultural changes that took place. The tiles can be seen at the base of Cathedral Square, one of Macau’s hidden jewels.

Nearly 80% of the adult population in America has tried their hand at some stage at gambling. Often merely for recreational purposes since many consider the act of gaming as a pleasureful thrill surrounding money. Yet when the thrill turns into an addiction, and the law has lost its fun element, then some gamblers would continue. Thus the question arises of why do players continue if it isn’t fun anymore? Maybe because gambling is an art in its own right, the art of deceit.

The Reward of Uncertainty

Uncertainty of whether you are going to win the jackpot, whether you are going to lose it all, whether today is that day, is one of the biggest subconscious attractions to gambling. When the possibility of reward remains uncertain, the human brain keeps on releasing dosages of dopamine. The anticipation of possibly winning is rewarded with feelings of enjoyment and excitement. Research has also indicated that gambling triggers the same areas of the brain as when a drug addict receives a fix. The effect of this constant surge of dopamine to your mind even alters your feelings towards losing. Thus making the uncertainty in gambling the main attraction to this deceitful form of art.

Immersing Yourself in the Environment

Being able to stand in front of a great work of art is only truly appreciated when the onlooker can truly immerse him or herself into the scenery portrayed. Complete immersion is what gamblers are lured in by time and time again. Gambling is indeed more than just betting and either winning or losing. Casinos are well-planned works of art aiming at alluring gamblers back to the lights and the sounds of excitement. The visual and audio thrills are as enticing and well-planned as every brushstroke and note in great works of art or music. Each has a purpose of fulfilling, of gaining interest to keep you engaged.

Feeling Enriched

Once again, gambling is compared to attending a magnificent art exhibition or musical presentation. The onlooker might not gain any monetary value from participating; in fact, it probably means something out of pocket to them. Yet afterwards, there is a looming sense of achievement, leaving as someone who has just gained something. Alternatively leaving the casino with empty pockets again feeling like a winner, high on dopamine and low on funds. Casinos went even one step further and adjusted their machines to be more electronically advanced, the placement of lights, the brightness of the scenery, being able to play multi-line slot machines. It leaves the gambler with a feeling of achievement when there is none.

Fostering False Impressions of Skill

Gambling does not relate to skill at all, yet it is perceived that way. Even the recreational gambler is gambling against much bigger odds than those presented in front of you. You are indeed betting against being allured into a world where also losing is celebrated, consistently charged on dopamine and truly immersed in an art form aimed at deceiving you.

Great works of literature have the ability to captivate their readers with a sense of intrigue and magic. It is often so inspiring due to the fact that the authors of these written works of art and inspiration, penned down reflections of their true experiences. Some of these great works aren’t necessarily written in order for the reader to relate to the story, but often to provide an escape from everyday life into the story. These great works below are those which deliver on this great escape into a world of magic and fantasy.

The Gambler

This masterpiece was written by the Russian author in order to accrue the needed funds to pay for his gambling debt which was the result of his unhealthy affair with the roulette tables. Dostoevsky was a regular patron at the most glamorous casinos in Europe including Baden Baden and St Petersburg. These places were the inspiration for the story which tells an aristocratic story of love. The story is complex and keeps readers engaged with many unexpected twists in the road after the protagonist of the tale placed bets on the roulette table on behalf of all the women he once adored. Also included in the brilliance of Dostoevsky’s storytelling is a great dash of Russian humuor.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Raoul Duke is in Las Vegas in search of the elusive American dream. The time period is set in a post-war era and the storyline is riddled with absurdities, indeed delivering on complete madness in a printed format. The story is taking the reader from absurdity to some hilarious moments and in the end, the entire work delivers a peek into the core of the American psyche.

Casino Royale

Can anybody else convey the glamour of the gambling industry like our favourite secret agent, 007 does? This was the first-ever Bond novel written by Flemming and it portrays the glitz and glamour of casino life. This novel has been the inspiration of not only a silver screen production, but indeed also shaped the world of casinos globally. It served as an inspiration for what is possible and the industry aimed to deliver on the escape created in the pages of this brilliant novel.

Monsieur X

From as recent as 2018, this young addition to the list reflects the true-life story of a very rich and truly intelligent Frenchman. He successfully manages to outplay the state and with many clever tactics manages to rake in millions which in the end delivers a life of immaculate luxury. His clever tactics weren’t appreciated by the state-owned casinos in France and it resulted in the government changing the set rules for gambling, simply to avoid losing more money to him. This decision portrays then Monsieur X as the underdog in the French culture.

If you were under the impression that great works of art needs divine inspiration to be birthed into creation, think again. For some of the world’s greatest works of artistic brilliance was inspired by none other than the world of gambling, going hand-in-hand already since the 15th century. Although paintings as old as The Crucifixion done by Andrea Mantegna painted in 1467, showcases a couple of gamblers in the crowd, playing with dice. Somewhere between 1571 and 1610 gambling inspired Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and the Gamblers were set for eternity in oil on canvas. Later on, in the mid-1890s, The Card Players make up for an entire series by Paul Cézanne. The following are all great works of art, where the muse must have been a gambling temptress.

The Cardsharps

Painted during the sixteenth century also by Merisi da Caravaggio, this painting delivers a unique peek into the world of gambling of that time. The painting illustrates a group of young boys who are engaged in playing cards. The one boy is emphasized as the one who has drawn an extra ticket, and an older man is also depicted watching the group of youngsters, watching the hand of one player over his shoulder and indicating the odds to another player who we assume is related. The painting is described as a brilliant infusion of the world of arts with gambling. An ordinary game of cards was captured with artistic brilliance and transformed into a captivating drama. Truly delivering on the beauty of art.

The Cheat with the Ace of Clubs

A masterpiece by painting genius Georges de la Tour. It is estimated that the work of art was created somewhere between 1626 and 1629. Two ladies are immersed in a game of cards with a gentleman. The painting portrays, however, a storyline much more profound as it is telling the story of how the gentleman is not as noble as one would like to believe since he manages to distract the ladies from the game just enough to allow him to hide away many A’s in his belt. Even though the ladies’ expression indicates that they are slightly wary of the man’s honesty and yet can’t pinpoint his offence. The picture has been described as a walking and talking work of art and deserving of a reprint in 1635. After some changes were made to the original piece, it was renamed appropriately as The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds.

Dogs Playing Poker

The 19th-century creation by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. The painting illustrates dogs involved in a game of poker. In total, a series of 18 paintings are combined to make up the entire image. Although the initial thoughts about the work were ridden with critique, it later on increased tremendously in value and was sold for $658 000 in 2015 at an auction in New York, setting a record in the world of art prices.

Ernest Hemingway, once upon a time, referred to his passion for gambling as a demanding friend. The love for gaming doesn’t make a distinction based upon the profession, and over the past century or more, many great men of the world of arts have dipped their curiosity in the mysterious bosom of lady luck. For some, this friendship with gambling took too enormous a toll, and for others, it was a muse which brought them brilliance through the inspiration which feeds on the misery in the creator’s mind. Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon are in the latter group, finding brilliance in this mystical relationship.

Lucian Freud

The grandson to the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, was born in 1922 in Berlin. He did not stay there for long and fled the Nazi persecution in the 1930s when he moved to London, where he, later on, became a British citizen. During his early works on the canvas, Freud’s work had a strong undertone of surrealistic influence, but later on, during the 1950s, he found his style.

Freud had a reputation as a very private person and kept mostly to himself and his small circle of friends. His work had such a robust psychological infiltration that it stemmed many to a degree of discomfort, gaining him many accolades for the brilliant realism. Pushed to achieve perfection in his creations, he was known as a painter who would work and rework his creations, again and again, completely exhausting his models. Freud’s career stretched over six decades. Being such a notoriously mysterious character, he managed to bridge various cult eras of his time. He was the man who mingled with Greta Garbo and rubbed shoulders with Frank Sinatra and had relations with England’s most famous gangsters of the time.

Many will remember Freud for his success as a figurative artist; others will recall his painting the Benefits Supervisor Sleeping being sold at a record high of $32 million during 2008. But it is only those who managed to penetrate his inner circle who will remember him for his remarkable gambling habit and Freud maintaining a legendary relationship with lady luck.

Francis Bacon

Bacon too was a figurative painter of the 20th century and a close friend to Freud. The Irish-born Brit would over the extent of his career mostly remain an outlier of the art world. He remained somewhat of an enigmatic figure and had his greatest success post-war, during the late 1950s in London. Today Bacon is regarded as one of the most influential figurative painters which the previous century delivered. Bacon lived a life of sophistication. He was witty and charming and loved socializing in smoky restaurants, sipping away on the groceries of life. This would include the best French champagne, caviar and of course gambling. Like with his excellent friend Freud, Bacon’s attitude to life was also giving it everything regardless of winning or losing, doing it for the thrill. An approach which both artists carried through to their passion for their mistress at the tables of failure and fortune.

Not everyone thinks of playing online blackjack as an art form, although that is precisely what it is. First, you try to find out the rules and how to play, any art lesion starts with a guide. This gives you the information that you need in deciding whether the artform is perfect for you. Several online casinos or sports betting sites allows you first to sample the games in free game mode, which is the same as finding out more about painting, sculpting or other forms of art. Most of the start-up information includes the costs of starting up and what you could achieve by mastering it.

Cost Involved for Beginners

Any form of art requires lessons, and this is, in most cases, quite a costly affair. You need to get the necessary paint and other materials before you can start painting. In online blackjack, there are no initial costs, joining an online casino is free, and it takes around 5 minutes of your time. To start playing blackjack, you only need a small budget to fund your account. The great benefit is that all casinos offer a welcome bonus so that you will end up with at least double your deposit. You can see this as a profit before you even start, but the money you bet with is the only cost. The art of winning more comes into play when you’re a little bit more familiar with the rules and how to play the game. Once you’ve won a couple of hands, you’d want to find ways to earn more and more rounds.

Where Winning More Actually Starts

There are quite a few blackjack experts that have written books on their strategies. Although, professional players do not share their secrets that freely. The first way to maximise your winnings might come as a huge surprise since it is finding a casino you can trust. Successful strategies come from lots of playing; perfection comes from lots of practice. Most procedures are based on when you when. How many times you won from making the same betting decision and how you can repeat the success.

Back to art and its relevance to blackjack, an artist will try and recreate the painting or statue that brings him or her the most profit. They’ll study the materials used, the brush strokes that made it famous, even the colours. In blackjack, it is called a strategy that can help you survive in a bad situation and make you win big in good condition. If you practise in fun mode first, you enter real money blackjack with confidence. It does not guarantee success after success, but if you’re confident, you can make better decisions, which leads to higher profits. Read up on the strategies shared by others, try these or work on your own. The more you know and practise, the better you perform during the game.

Casinos are the largest entertainment malls, and the designers are ambitious, creative and know how to make these as flashy as the billboards. There is a very distinctive difference between newly built casinos and the stately older ones.

Newer Built Casino Resorts versus Older Casinos

The older building has more building details while the newer building stands out like a billboard in New York. If you’re a table game player, the inside might look or feel the same as your focus remains on the game itself although several of the newer mega brands have created a different atmosphere for VIPs, table and card players as well as slot machine spinners.

Caesar’s Palace the USA

In a recent survey focussed on finding out which casino the world finds the most impressive, the number one casino was Caesar’s Palace in the USA. It comes as no surprise as this hotel is a wonder to behold. The casino was designed and built to represents a mega-sized version of the Roman Forum; this includes the gardens of Olympus and the pools.

Casino de Monte Carlo Monaco

The casino that ended in the second place of the world’s most impressive land-based casinos is the Casino de Monte-Carlo in Monaco. It is the classiest of all casino worldwide, and it makes every single visitor feels like a film star. The casino is an opulent palace that offers the best entertainment. The monstrosity beats all others when it comes to luxury and class blended with sound effect.

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

The casino in the third place is the superb Marina Bay Sands in Singapore; it’s modern, it’s gorgeous and its features three towers. This casino features the largest outdoor pool in the world, and it is the most spectacular modern casino worldwide. When it comes to visually impressive, the casino might take the first place.

Sun City Casino Resort South Africa

In the fourth place, the most impressive casino in Sun City Casino Resort in South Africa. This casino is not only one of the most impressive visually but also offers a golf course designed by Garry Player. Visitors can enjoy top hotel services and visit several nightclubs. The palace is set in the spectacular bushveld and a tourist favourite for its wildlife tours and outdoor activities.

Venetian Macau China

If you’ve been waiting for a casino in China, Macau, you’ll be happy to hear that Venetian Macau is next on the list. The casino offers perfect physical beauty and provides visitors with a golden experience that exceeds all expectations.

The Venetian Las Vegas

Other casinos mentioned on the most popular list includes The Venetian in Las Vegas, Foxwoods Resort Casino in the United States, The Aria in Las Vegas, and the Casino di Venezia in Venice. The Casino di Venezia was voted as the most romantic casino, and it is possibly the one most selected for honeymoons and wedding receptions.

Online gambling brings the same feel of unpredictability as Valentine’s day. The excitement is that equal to going out on a date for the first time. Receiving flowers and not knowing who the sender is, or even sending flowers to someone without your name. The excitement all comes down to one thing only, whether you send or receive the flowers, chocolates or only a note. As with online gambling, the exciting part of it all is that you do not know what the response will be. It can be positive, negative, super positive or completely the opposite of what you expect.

Expect the Unexpected

The great thing about online gambling is that this whole build-up of excitement is an emotional high you enjoy spin after spin or bet after bet. As there are rules of do’s and don’ts when you want to ask someone out on Valentine’s Day, so there are when you enjoy online casino games.

The Rules Aren’t Different.

The rule about dress code is to make sure you are comfortable when you accept an invite for dinner on Valentine’s Day. In online casino gaming, this corresponds with playing the games at a budget that allows you to feel comfortable. If it is the first time you take someone out, it is essential that you remain yourself and doesn’t try too hard. Afterall you hope that the person would like you for who you are. When it comes to online gambling, you want to earn a profit from only investing what you set aside for entertainment.

Don’t go all out an blow your dating budget when it’s the first date, you might think he/she is worth it, but it is not the way to find out. In online gambling, there are thousands of casinos looking for new members. The bonuses on offer differ hugely and easily tempts new players. Don’t fall in the trap, first find out what the casino is all about by reading all the terms and conditions. The bonus might be huge, but the rules on how to clear the winnings could be ridiculous in terms of wagering. The time you’re allowed to complete all terms and conditions, which means it might not be worth all the hassle in the end.

Choosing the restaurant is one of the most important decisions you’ll make; it counts towards the atmosphere and how your date ends. If you or your partner don’t like hot food, an Indian Restaurant might not do. If you love steak, you probably won’t go to a coffee shop. The same applies for choosing an online casino if you love slots you’re not going to join a bookmaker or bingo site. If the casino only accepts USD and you use pounds, it will cost you more in conversion than what might be worth your while.

Online and land-based casinos compete for attracting the highest number of new players, keeping their existing players loyal and enticing high rollers. It places enormous stress on the marketing departments who have to think of creative ways to achieve all three goals. Finally, they realized the only way to accomplish all three is to ask the players what they want. It is a time-consuming task, you could either do a kind of a survey, but not everyone is going to respond. The next step was to use software to identify the games the players enjoy most. Still, it works best with the members you already got.

Games Players Love

It is not as effective when you want to attract new players who can play at any other casino, so what do you do to get the attention of the crowd. It might sound easy, but most have re-decorated, changed the casino themes and added live dealer games. One of the most recent discoveries in the casino gaming arena was that players enjoy games with level-based play. Most software providers then created games that include a whole range of rewards. These are not monetary rewards but rather extra spins when you reach a level or more wilds, higher multipliers or maybe wilds that expand or remain sticky on the reels. But to get the benefits, the player needs to reach the levels, which is a challenge and most like to be challenged.

Offer Most Attractive Bonuses

The bonus structure is wholly changed even to include no deposit bonuses, and yet the marketing department is not performing in the way of reaching the goal. What do you do? You have to get even more creative, think out of the box and forget all limits. It’s a matter of going high, go fast, go deep or go home as it is the only way to reach the international player audience. Not long after loyalty programs started and players could claim rewards on their casino actions.
 
The points work the same as the program some airlines offer to frequent flyers. You earn points and can exchange them for discounts or in the case of casinos for other benefits such as promotional offers or cash. Spend a bit more, and you get a bit more back in terms of points, just about all casino added the benefits, and again it is perfect for existing players. To the most significant step forward in gaining new members is wager-free bonuses that offer real value.

On the Betting Side Things Changed for the Bettors and Better

Sports betting is a popular favourite, but not everyone loves sports, so bookmakers added entertainment betting. Most of those who shy away for the action-based sports love watching television and follow the latest rumours about celebrities. Entertainment betting created quite a storm as many non-sports fans had something else to wager on. The range of betting options includes reality programs and even betting on the Oscars.

The sports world buzzed as the news breaks about the promise Wayne Rooney made to his wife. He promises to give up gambling, although a gambling firm sponsors his move to Derby. As he plans his move back to Derby, Wayne Rooney tells his wife his gambling and betting days are now over; he vows that he is done with all types of gambling. Well, its surprising words form the striker especially a keen gambler that can blow up to £500,000 on casino games within just two hours. Plus, 32Red Casino is financing his move back to Derby County.

Wayne Rooney Financed by 32Red

Aged 33, Rooney tells his friends that he will form now on stay clear of the temptation to bet on anything including sports and casino games. Some remember him as the love cheat, but he now vows that he will never gamble again to save his 11-year marriage. The ex-captain of the England team Wayne Rooney Shocked the football world when he announced that he is leaving his current team, DC United and that he wishes to return to the United Kingdom. The driving force behind the decision is his homesick wife, who finds Washington to be too lonely.

Rooney and Barmaid

Rooney has not been the most supportive and his made his wife even angrier after his February bender with the barmaid from Florida. The vow has sparked chaos in the sports world as he is earning part of his £90,000 per week wage directly from 32Red, a betting giant. His promise also comes after the church, and anti-gambling campaigners strongly criticised him. At the same time, Derby told fans they are breaking the spirit of the FFP by not supporting Rooney in his number 32 jersey.

Wayne Rooney and Gambling

Wayne Rooney is the guy that can walk into a casino and start betting around £4,000 per minute on roulette and blackjack. The father of four knows he has one last chance to save his marriage and take care of his four boys, and that is to quit the US.

The United States Move

Those close to Rooney understands that the move to the US might have been tough on his family. But they believe it was what the sports star needed at the time. He finally could be himself he could go out as fans in the US hardly bothered him when he went out. During his last season’s back in England, Rooney went entirely off the rails, and the move allowed him to reflect on all that. It was his chance to get things sorted and to focus on what is essential. His family and his marriage won, and now he is ready to make the necessary changes to save it all.