Before its reunification with China, Macao had a political culture1 which emphasised social harmony and tolerance. Its population was characterised as politically inactive and was believed to be mostly either hostile or apathetic towards politics (Lin, 1998). Community views were expressed through traditional associations and direct criticism of the government was rare. As the evidence presented in this chapter shows, this political culture has been eroding, particularly after the social impact of the liberalisation of the gaming industry began to be felt. People's attitudes towards the government have changed and their belief in the benevolence of its actions has declined. The value of social harmony has been put to the test. Organised protests have become a more frequent occurrence. There has been more criticism of both the government and the gaming industry. Macao people have become less tolerant of the circumstances in which they find themselves and more willing to become involved in politics. A number of factors might have contributed to this change in political culture, including the resumption of Chinese sovereignty under the slogan 'Macao people governing Macao', a high-profile corruption case resulting in the conviction of the Secretary for Transport and Works, changes in the electoral system and the legislature and phenomenal economic growth in the wake of gaming liberalisation. This chapter focuses mainly on the effects of gaming liberalisation on the changing political culture. It consists of two parts. The first examines the effects of the gaming liberalisation on political culture through a review of the relevant literature and news reports. The second reports the results of a public opinion survey of people's beliefs, values, attitudes and sentiment. © 2011 by The Hong Kong University Press, HKU. All rights reserved.