[国际新闻] 美国赌场拉斯韦加斯想趁春节发财

“恭喜春节发财”——写着这样几个字的横幅看上去有些奇怪，它为什么强调在春节期间发财呢？原来，大量悬挂这种横幅的是美国的各大赌场及其酒店。2月13日，美国拉斯韦加斯的《赌城时报》报道称，威尼斯酒店及其赌场将以传统方式迎接中国新年。大年三十和初一的下午，酒店组织舞龙表演、放鞭炮。一群舞者和音乐家将在大厅表演并祝大家新年行好运。威尼斯酒店的负责人说，这是该酒店连续第七年庆祝中国新年了，规模一年比一年大，今年达到了顶峰。在吸引中国赌客的同时，美国赌博公司还将世界上最大的赌场开到了澳门，并积极参与对中国周边国家赌场的投资。有学者称，与中国人境外赌博相关的洗钱、贪污等问题越来越严峻，如不及时采取措施，后果将不堪设想。/ W+ i7 M. [- C; A7 x, t3 N A m4 c
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Chinese New Year is one of the most profitable times of the year for Las Vegas casinos like the Venetian, which featured a dragon dance Saturday.) y2 j4 P0 d. Z, }$ g3 t/ E

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美国赌场为春节做准备从1个月前就开始了。它们先是在纽约等城市的华文报纸上连续刊登大幅广告。《环球时报》记者就曾看到这样一个广告：“王力宏盖世英雄演唱会”将在康涅狄格州的金神大赌场热闹上演。该广告还特意标出亚洲市场部的贵宾服务热线。在广告右下方票价的后面有这样一句话，“纽约顾客赠送来回巴士车票，成人随车送15美元赌本，也可换成餐券”。离春节还有两三周的时候，赌城拉斯韦加斯的各个赌场、酒店就开始给华人赌客发邀请函、帮他们办签证、赠送机票。美国赌场打出的广告语是“到赌城吃年夜饭”。除此以外，不少赌场酒店摆出了石狮子，挂起了宫灯、中国结。上面提到的威尼斯酒店就完全以中国风格进行布置，外面摆放着19个灯柱，每个灯柱上都有铜钱和红绸带，通往酒店的桥上有24个超大的垂花饰物，大厅里有很多橘子树、一棵许愿树、大量莲花灯和超大的红灯笼。
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今年与往年的另一大区别是，美国的几大赌城都规模空前地引进了中国的流行文化。2月14日，成龙、张惠妹、李宇春、五月天、信乐队等明星和音乐组合齐聚拉斯韦加斯，参加传统春节双语晚会。18日和19日，张学友将在拉斯韦加斯召开个人演唱会，为其56场巡回演唱会揭开序幕。据报道，这两场演唱会的门票早已被歌迷们一抢而空。同在内华达州的雷诺赌城，留下过林志颖、许冠杰、庾澄庆和萧蔷等人的身影，今年又有邰正宵与苑琼丹来雷诺迎接新年。 5 d# C% F/ j& Q6 _

　　华人对美国赌业“贡献不小”

美国赌城之所以在春节期间张灯结彩、讨好华人，是因为华人对美国赌业的“贡献”越来越大。拉斯韦加斯一家赌场的亚洲区经理说：“亚洲人是赌场唯一成长的客源，而中国人是亚洲唯一使用大量现金的人群。”大西洋城希尔顿大赌场远东市场副总裁麦俊明称，　2000年至今，亚裔赌客人数至少增长了20％，其中80％是华人。平均来说，每天赌场内的赌客大概有25％至30％是华人。其实，华人是给美国赌场送了不少钱，但不一定都通过赌桌。有人将华人赌客分为三类：赌着玩的、常赌的和豪赌的。

《环球时报》记者采访了一位名叫莎丽的华人导游，她经常带华人旅行团到赌城游玩。她说国内来的商务旅行团喜欢去赌城一掷千金，吃住娱乐都非常奢侈，但他们未必在赌场上花大钱。赌城拉斯韦加斯之所以吸引游客，不仅仅在于其设施齐全的赌场，更在于美轮美奂的酒店和娱乐服务。其脱衣舞表演、音乐喷泉和驯兽、魔术表演都是世界闻名，并且对各种文化背景的游客都适用，不需要游客对美国文化有多少了解。这些特点对某些以公款高消费为特征的国内团有特别的吸引力。因此，赌城变成了几乎每一个国内团到美国必去的地方。另一方面，正是因为赌城娱乐对游客的语言、文化水平要求低，那些定居美国的华侨、华裔也爱去赌城。无论是刚来美国不久的留学生，还是久居美国的退休老人，都面临着移民的文化隔膜问题。每逢节假日，他们更会感到和美国的传统娱乐文化格格不入。于是，赌博、驯兽、魔术和脱衣舞这类各国文化较为相通的娱乐就成了他们的首选，去赌城也就成了几乎是唯一的选项。《环球时报》记者在调查中发现，多数华人将钱花在了与赌城相关的观光和娱乐项目上。在纽约州北部颇有名望的罗马赌城，里里外外就很难找到华人甚至亚裔赌客的身影，满场都是神情严肃的白人和拉美裔赌客。原因是这里的赌场以赌见长，旅游项目和娱乐项目都不是特别丰富。

在美国，也有一批华人热衷于赌博。如纽约的一些大赌场就每天派出豪华大巴，到市内招揽游客。不仅免费接送，还白给１０美元至２０美元赌资外加一顿免费午餐。这些巴士被当地人称为“发财车”，一小时一趟而且车站很多。美国媒体称，每天都有一些华人下班后，顾不上吃饭和休息，在“发财车”上打个盹，然后到赌场“拼杀”。由于这样的华人赌客客源稳定而且人数不少，与之相应地产生了两类人群。一是专门向这些华人放高利贷、提供赌资的人，一是混在赌客中天天去赌场吃免费餐的人。与以上两种人相比，人们谈论最多的还是到美国豪赌的中国人。这些人都比较神秘，有美国赌场的内部人士称，到美国豪赌的中国人赌注大且精力过人，可以狂赌几天不睡觉。有报道称，大连的一名女企业家在美国的10个月中输掉了2000万美元。在2002年农历新年期间，几名大陆赌客一夜之间在MGM赌场纸牌桌上输掉了2000万美元。MGM发言人拒绝评论它的大陆业务。类似事件很容易让人们想到腐败，事实也的确如此。去年年初，美国助理司法部长费舍宣布，中国银行广东开平支行前行长许超凡和许国俊等人因涉嫌盗窃中国银行公款4.85亿美元，并通过拉斯韦加斯赌场洗钱、欺诈等15项罪行，被拉斯韦加斯的一个联邦大陪审团起诉。实际上，在这些贪官逃往美国前，就通过香港向美国拉斯韦加斯的恺撒王宫赌场和沙漠王宫赌场转移了上千万美元。逃到美国后，他们东躲西藏，唯一能感到放松的地方就是赌场。他们出手大方让美国人都感到震惊，与此同时，他们也完成了洗钱的“任务”。

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虽然美国赌场想尽办法吸引华人，但地理上的“隔阂”使它们与澳门的赌场相比，处于了下风。正因为如此，以美国金沙集团为首的各国赌博集团纷纷向澳门注资，以至于1月27日的英国《每日电讯报》惊呼：澳门押在新赌场上的筹码是不是太多了？金沙集团是拉斯韦加斯最大的赌博集团，它在澳门建立的赌场2004年5月开业后，1年内就赚回了总投资额3.65亿美元。去年8月，这家赌场的规模成为世界第一。此外，金沙集团还在兴建威尼斯澳门酒店，总投资23亿美元，预计今年7月开业。
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《华盛顿邮报》曾有一篇题为《（中国周边）这些赌场对中国人意味着什么？》的文章。文章称，近年来，以保守闻名的新加坡取消了禁赌令，并计划开设两座赌城。其他国家也纷纷效仿，韩国、日本、缅甸、越南、柬埔寨、马来西亚、菲律宾、印度等国，或已有赌场存在，或计划开设新赌场，“目标针对的主要是中国人”。除了《华盛顿邮报》点到的国家，连身处内陆、没有赌博传统的蒙古人也打起了赌场的主意。近日，蒙古有媒体报道说，首都乌兰巴托机场附近要建一个名叫“马湖”的大型赌城。赌城由四个五星级宾馆、雪山、人工湖、服务中心、赌马场等娱乐服务设施组成，设计规模为每年接待30万名游客。据说该赌城全部建成需要投资约10亿美元，投资者在机场附近租用了30公顷土地，期限为30年，目标是将“马湖”赌城建成蒙古的“拉斯韦加斯”。投资者说蒙古国家大呼拉尔（议会）通过允许赌博的相关法律后，即着手赌城的建设。据蒙古媒体报道，十几名蒙古国家大呼拉尔委员已联合提交了《关于设立封闭赌场的法律》草案。草案提议投资者可在特定区域内经营赌博业务，同时建立吸引外国游客的法律环境，建议政府成立类似赌博业监督委员会这样的专门机构负责监督，防止赌场从事违法的事情，如洗钱等。法律规定不允许蒙古人进入赌场。赌场所获利润主要用于蒙古国卫生和教育等领域。而此前有媒体报道称，到蒙古投资的是美国企业，它们针对的主要是中国赌客。
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　　中国应对赌博问题更加重视 ; P6 A; W! {3 w) X0 h
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世界各国的赌场无论是想方设法吸引中国人，还是将赌桌搬到中国的家门口，这些都是外部因素。内部因素是中国人对赌博的认识问题。中国社会科学院研究博彩业的博士后罗静说，中国长期以来是农耕文明，讲究春耕夏种秋收冬藏。冬天时，除了读书之外，很多人就是靠打麻将、斗鸡等游戏打发时间、进行娱乐的。这些赌博活动在一定程度上也包含着一定的智慧、习俗、文化等因素。如中国人喜欢聚赌，这与中国人在农业文明中形成的习俗有关。而西方人则喜欢单独一个人跟老虎机赌，或很简单地玩比大小，几秒钟就可以决出胜负。从文化的角度上看，西方人在赌博上比中国人更理性。了解了这一点，就有可能从根源上去找问题、想办法。
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At the Bellagio, decorations are displayed to observe Chinese New Year.
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也有学者认为，中国目前面临的问题是无法避免的，也是无法回避的。随着全球化的发展，中国融入世界的脚步越来越快。中国人与外界的接触越来越多。在相关文化、猎奇心理、冒险精神、经济实力、外界诱惑等因素的共同作用下，赌博大军在日益壮大。目前，与中国人境外赌博相关的一系列问题越来越严峻，如洗钱、贪污、涉黑、涉毒等。如不及时加以扼制，后果不堪设想。中国与世界的融合还会进一步加深。目前，美国还不是中国的旅游目的地国，到美国赌博并不是一路绿灯。一旦类似限制消失，中国面临的压力更大。美国华尔街一家资本公司总裁陈毅松博士告诉《环球时报》记者，对中国来说，有三个方面的工作需要加强，才能防范与杜绝中国人狂赌的现象。首先，加强金融风险管理与监控，力求防范在先，不能让个别人不经批准，擅自将大笔国家资金用于境外豪赌。其次，加强官员廉政建设，对相关商务考察、旅游观光等赴美团组，要保证全程活动与工作相关，不能一出国就往赌场去。第三，积极引导私营企业家树立正确的社会责任观，富裕之后乐于回馈社会，而不能简单地以狂赌论英雄。2 @! ]! P( ^" h( K$ k0 O

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LAS VEGAS, Feb. 20 — Zhu Yu was not the least perturbed that faux Italian frescoes — rather than Asian silk screens — decorated the ceiling of the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino hallway where he and his family watched on Saturday as a 25-foot-long red-and-yellow dragon shimmied through a traditional Chinese New Year dance.. E4 M, S  \1 S) j  Q# D0 ?$ d
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“Oh, it’s nothing like what we did when I was a boy in Taipei, but it’s still very exciting,” Mr. Zhu, 49, said over the din of drumbeats as the dragon paused to send good luck in the direction of those inside the high-limit baccarat room. His three daughters, all younger than 10, stood mesmerized in front of his wife.
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It was the Zhu family’s fourth straight year ushering in Chinese New Year in Las Vegas instead of in their home city, San Francisco. Their stop at the Venetian’s dragon dance was followed by a visit to a similar one in the pirate’s cove outside the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino on Sunday, the first day of the Year of the Pig, and another dragon dance Monday, this one at the Roman-themed Caesars Palace.

“This is a Las Vegas version of Chinese New Year,” Mr. Zhu said. “It’s its own thing, but we love it.”2 Z# |! w( x9 _9 j

So do casino executives. Chinese New Year, a 15-day celebration that is set by a lunar calendar and that usually falls in late January or early February, has become one of the city’s most profitable events, drawing thousands of Asian and Asian-American visitors and hundreds of millions of their dollars each year.

The city’s tourism board does not keep statistics on the event’s economic impact, but executives with Las Vegas Sands Inc., which owns the Venetian, say more money is bet during the two-week period than at any other time during the year. “The Chinese New Year is longer than anything,” said the company’s president and chief operating officer, William P. Weidner, “and we see much higher per-player action.”7 e: E+ ]+ a0 Q, w+ X% ^% }5 M

J. Terrence Lanni, chief executive of MGM Mirage, the city’s largest gambling company with nine properties on the Strip, including the Bellagio and Mirage resorts, said that for his company, the first weekend of Chinese New Year was the second-biggest betting weekend of the year, ahead of the Super Bowl and behind only the conventional New Year’s holiday. (Gamblers in Las Vegas wagered $93 million on last month’s Super Bowl, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported.)
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Casinos drape enormous banners with New Year’s greetings in Chinese across their porte-cocheres and add tables for baccarat and pai gow poker, two games favored by Asian gamblers. They hold parties where managers hand invited guests red envelopes stuffed with money or special gambling chips adorned with the animal symbol of the year. At Caesars Palace, Celine Dion and Elton John are given a few days off so that Jacky Cheung, the Canto-pop sensation, can hold forth in the 4,100-seat Colosseum." U5 c2 A* Z$ f( B

Most Chinese restaurants on the Strip stay open longer and add traditional New Year’s dishes or rename some regular ones with lucky or upbeat words. It is not unusual for a family to spend more than $20,000 for a Chinese New Year dinner, said Richard Chen, the executive chef at the Wing Lei restaurant in the Wynn Las Vegas resort, which has imported abalone at $2,226 a pound and bird’s nest at $1,600 a pound for this year’s festivities.8 q) p, Z8 O6 B# M7 l
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At the Bellagio, the theme of the 14,000-square-foot Conservatory is changed only five times a year, and Chinese New Year is one of those times. The current display features live tangerine trees, a 45-foot-tall pagoda, and a mechanical pig with a moving eyes, tail and snout.

“You’ll see a lot of Chinese lanterns hanging in groups of six because multiples of six are lucky numbers,” said the Conservatory manager, Sharon Hatcher. “Everything here are multiples of six or eight, because those are the lucky numbers. Even the number of koi we have in our pond are multiples of eight. We want to maintain as much positive energy for luck.”% q; `7 w+ V. a/ `  I
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Such nods to Asian culture came as hard-learned lessons for Las Vegas properties, which now employ feng shui masters to advise on design and building plans. When the MGM Grand HotelsCasino opened in 1993, patrons walked through a main entrance built to resemble the mouth of a mammoth lion, MGM’s longtime corporate symbol. This incensed Asian gamblers, who complained — and stayed away — because the notion of walking into the mouth of a beast is considered unlucky. The company spent millions removing the lion and reconfiguring the entrance, said Alan Feldman, a spokesman for MGM Mirage.人在德国社区4 G2 a  q, ?4 E% h( [- \" Q' B

“Everyone has stories about things like that,” Mr. Feldman said. “Over at the Mirage we built a high-limit gaming area that looked like a library. The Chinese word for book sounds like lose so books have an unlucky connotation. Those books were gone within the hour.”- O: D: w+ w+ s5 |

While the notion of traveling to Las Vegas for a major cultural event historically known as a time for family gatherings may seem sacrilegious, David Huang, whose tour company, Chinese Hosts, is based here, said the trend reflected a newfound desire among younger, upwardly mobile Asians and Asian-Americans to travel while maintaining an important tradition of the holiday: gambling.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de$ J9 e$ y8 L7 C3 ^* E2 V
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“The Chinese New Year has always been a time for people to get together and play games, to celebrate good luck and good fortune,” Mr. Huang said. “People like to get together and spend substantial amounts of money. Vegas helps keep up the tradition.”
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Las Vegas’s ties to Asia have grown more extensive over the last decade with MGM Mirage, Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts all spending billions on lavish hotel-casinos in the Chinese region of Macau. In 2004, Nevada opened a tourism office in Beijing. And both the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Community College of Southern Nevada have or are building satellite campuses in China and Singapore.

“Growing up in Las Vegas, we never heard about Chinese New Year,” said Bo J. Bernhard, a sociology professor at U.N.L.V. and director of gambling research at the university’s International Gaming Institute. “There might’ve been a nod here or there and a casino host who focused on high rollers 10 years ago. But now the casino industry is being exposed to Asia in a big way, and Asia has been exposed to our casino industry, too.”

The importance of Chinese New Year to the casino industry is clear by the lengths to which properties go to court Asian gamblers during the holiday. This year’s Chinese New Year began on the Presidents’ Day weekend, typically a busy time for the city, which was also the site of the NBA All-Star Game and one of the year’s biggest conventions, the men’s apparel trade show. But Mr. Weidner said his company’s top priority was its clients, some of whom the company ferried here from Asia on its fleet of private jets.

“This is a merit system here,” Mr. Weidner said. “The highest quality players will get whatever they want. The Chinese are the highest and best quality players in the world, so they’ll have preference. We don’t care how tall you are, how short you are, how fat you are, what color you are. Green is the most important color.”

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