MACAU BUSINESS


research works on Macau, is Encountering Macau: A Portuguese City-state On The Periphery Of China, 1557-1999, by Geoffrey C. Gunn (1996). From this we learn that: ‘While the Chinese passion for gambling was in full evidence in early times in Macau (…) the transformation of this passion into big business took place in several steps. A start was made in the 1950s by Governor Isidoro Guimarães who introduced a licensing system for gambling houses in Macau as a way of raising state revenue and compensating for the constant drain imposed upon Macau of supporting Timor.’ It was not until 2002 that another version of the


‘facts’ emerged. In that year, Portuguese researcher Teresa Lopes da Silva, upon researching Governor


Ferreira do Amaral (1846–1849), states in Transição de Macau para a Modernidade (1841-1853): ‘It was still at the beginning of 1847 that Ferreira do Amaral, ignoring the old claims of the Leal Senado to become the concessionaire of such a project, awarded the first licence to open Chinese lottery [pacapio] houses.’


The author does not disclose the specific document on which this information is based but Teresa Lopes da Silva explained to Macau Business that: “The first reference to this item in the revenues of the establishment [of Macau] dates from July 1847 and refers to five months of licencing, which proves that the operation of this business began in early February of the same year.” The document that shows


Engraving of Macau courtesy Morphart/Adobe Stock 20 SEPTEMBER 2017


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