Most of us in North America think the Mecca of gambling is Las Vegas. We know about Atlantic City and Monaco, but few of us are aware that there is a place to gamble that is about to become bigger than Vegas. The place I speak of is the southern Chinese city of Macau.

Macau has been a gambling town since the Portuguese government legalized it in the colony back in the 1850’s. Know as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient” Macau had exclusively Asian games until the introduction of western-style games in the 20th century. Since a law was passed in 2001 that ended Stanley Ho’s 40-year gambling monopoly the city has flourished. Today sports betting, horse racing, greyhound racing, and casino games are all available in the casinos.

The success is due to the heavy profits made from the game of baccarat and the rising Chinese economy. The 26 Macau casinos have already make more than the 40 casinos on the Vegas Strip. Macau earned $9.5 billion in 2006, compared to all of Clark County’s $10.6 billion, and will earn more in profits than the entire county by 2010.

The Chinese economy has been able to attract big-name Vegas hotels, including a couple of Vegas casino owners who have built gambling houses there. So far the Sands and the Wynn Macau are operating, and soon the new Venetian Macau. Tourism is thriving, and Macau had 22 million visitors last year. The new Venetian Macau is set to open next month and will certainly attract tourists from around the globe. It is going to be the largest building in Asia, and the second largest in the world. There will be 3000 suites, 1.2 million square feet of convention and exhibition space, one million square feet of retail space, and a 15,000 seat arena.

The future planners are focused on building more attractions and providing more shopping so the economy of the city can be sustained into the future. A major percentage of the revenue comes from the VIP baccarat high rollers, who could disappear as quickly as they were created if the Chinese economy takes a down swing.

On August 31st the newest hip nightclub will be opening in Vegas. The club will be called LAX, and it will be in the Luxor Hotel. Vegas is one of the hottest nightclub spots in the country and the Luxor wants in on the revenues the trendy Hollywood types are bringing to the city these days. The opening night will be hosted by none other than Britney Spears and a boatload of her friends.

The LAX at the Luxor will be the second edition of the very trendy L.A. hot spot that is expanding to Vegas. It will be run by the successful Pure Management group, so it promises to be one of the trendiest clubs on the strip. It’s replacing the old Vegas nightclub legend RA, and the more than $20 million that’s going into the renovation should make for a funky place.

The Luxor is hiring Britney because of her successful launch of the LAX’s sister venue Pure in January of 2006. Spears allegedly passed out at the end of the evening - her people said she had collapsed from exhaustion, but she was seen drinking from a bottle of Dom Perignon earlier in the night.

I truly question the choice of the Luxor to hire Britney for the opening. The fading pop star isn’t exactly the “in girl” any longer, and her recent behaviour hasn’t been stellar. A lot has happened since January of 2006, and I don’t think she’s the draw she once was. She recently walked out on a photo shoot for OK magazine where she was reported to have destroyed a designer dress and left before they had any photos they could publish.

Investors, which include Wilmer Valderrama, Nick Lachey, and Christina Aguilera, must know what they’re doing by hiring Spears. They at least know that there will be lots of paparazzi and publicity around the wig-wearing pop star, but I guess that’s the point