Las Vegas vs Macau - place your bets

(AFP PHOTO / VOISHMEL)

They are the two most famous gambling hotspots in the world - but a new analysis of the market has suggested that Macau may be the best horse to back in the long run.

Tourism analyst MarketMetrix took a look at the TripAdvisor ratings of top hotels in both America's "sin city" and China's "Monte Carlo of the Orient." It concluded that, across a broad range of factors, Macau's top three accommodation offerings outperformed Las Vegas' - just.

MarketMetrix discovered that the top ten Macau casino hotels experienced higher scores for 'Rooms' and 'Cleanliness' than their Las Vegas counterparts. However, guests rated Las Vegas higher in 'Service,' 'Location' and 'Value'.

Jonathan Barsky and Lenny Nash, the authors behind the data, suggest that Macau's location adjacent to mainland China is one big factor behind its success - there are one billion potential gamers within a two-hour flight of Macau.

"Macau hoteliers will have to work even harder to provide value," they say. "But as part of the fastest-growing gaming market in the world, the odds are with Macau."

See the research here: http://www.marketmetrix.com/en/default.aspx?s=research&p=MacauHotels