Vegas Plays to the World

摘要

The most remarkable feature of the flashy new Sands Macao casino, according to Asian high rollers, isn't the 60-ft.-tall windows or the 50-ton chandelier or even the opulent bar offering 200 kinds of tea (free!). No, for big spenders accustomed to the dingy, smoke-choked quarters of China's only legal gaming district, the highest praise for the first American-run casino goes to its ventilation system. "It doesn't feel stuffy," marvels local resident Tong Tin-Chung, "so you won't get dizzy." And the Sands is offering more than clean air- there are sequined showgirls, megaplex-size TVs and a 300-ft.-long buffet- all designed to reel in mainlanders like Li Duoshan, a businessman from nearby Zhuhai, who once dropped a six-figure sum in one of Macau's VIP baccarat rooms. Li has lost money at the Sands too, but still pooh-poohs its competitors: "There's no music, no shows. Except for gambling, there's nothing else to do."