Nothing serious can happen here. Photographs from Macau Adam Lampton
American photographer Adam Lampton stayed in Macao three times on a Fulbright fellowship between 2006 and 2019 and his images reflect the transformation of this tiny stretch of land, known as the “Las Vegas of the East”. In fact, it was under the Portuguese rule in the 19th century that gambling was legalized. At the end of the Portuguese rule, Hong Kong tycoon Stanley Ho monopolized the casino industry. He introduced the junket trade, which allowed the Chinese triads to whitewash their money on “the most lawless six square miles on earth”, according to the Wall Street Journal (article “The Macao connection” dated 26.02.1998). Macao was returned to the People’s Republic of China by Portugal in 1999 and became China’s only legal casino gaming place. Stanley Ho lost his monopoly and the Chinese government allowed foreign investors, famously the Vegas casino owners Adelson and Wynn, who replicated their American venues. It proved to be an incredibly profitable investment for them when mainland Chinese were allowed to visit. The photographer’s father was a professor of US-China political relations, which explains his interest in the history of this unique place. His photographs capture the soul of a city, which generates more revenue than Las Vegas and allow us to see behind the glitzy facade.
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