On Cotai Strip, a reclaimed area in Macao billed as Asia's answer to Las Vegas, workers are busy putting the finishing touches on City of Dreams, the newest casino in the former Portuguese colony.

With a dome-shaped theatre, a Hard Rock-themed casino, stylish night- clubs and Harley Davidson motorcycles in the jackpot, Melco Crown Entertainment (MPEL) is betting that the $2.1bn project will be able to defy a slowing market in Macao and a deepening global recession when it opens its doors in June.

In 2008, gaming revenue in Macao grew by 31 per cent to $13.5bn but there was a sharp slowdown in September after Beijing imposed visa restrictions that curtailed visitors to casinos from some parts of mainland China. High-rollers, meanwhile, also found it more difficult to tap credit as the global financial crisis worsened.