Macau, China, Nov. 24, 2025 (Lusa) - The Macau Government promised on Monday that it would try to save the jobs of around 3,000 employees at the four satellite casinos that are due to close by the end of the year.
The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Anton Tai Kin Ip, confirmed that, following the closure of six satellite casinos, 1,300 workers have already been reintegrated into the staff of the gaming concessionaires.
The first to close was Grandview at the end of July, followed by Grand Dragon on 22 September. Emperor Palace and Waldo closed at the end of October, while Legend Palace closed on 12 November and Casal Real last Tuesday.
"There are still four satellite casinos left to close, involving around 3,000 workers," said Anton Tai in the local parliament during the debate on the Government's Action Lines in the area of Economy and Finance for 2026.
Ponte 16, with 1,025 employees, will close on Friday after the concessionaire SJM Resorts gave up on purchasing the property where the “satellite casino” is located.
Another “satellite casino”, Fortuna, will close on 10 December, according to an internal memo from the property's owner, Kou Seng Holdings, quoted by the gaming news portal GGRAsia today.
Two more satellite casinos, Landmark and Kam Pek Paradise, both under SJM, founded by gaming magnate Stanley Ho Hung Sun (1921-2020), are also expected to close by the end of the year.
On 9 June, the Macau Government announced that gaming concessionaires had communicated the end of operations at all 11 satellite casinos, where approximately 5,600 residents worked.
"Over the years, we have had an open line to support casino workers. So far, we have received 29 requests for help" from “satellite casino” employees," revealed Anton Tai.
"We will continue to work, step by step, towards a smooth transition for “satellite casino” workers," added the secretary.
In June, the then Secretary for Administration and Justice, André Cheong Weng Chon, demanded that operators guarantee employment for affected local workers.
At the end of August, Portuguese Macau MP José Pereira Coutinho said he feared "a new wave of unemployment" in the region "in the medium to long term" due to the closure of satellite casinos.
Macau's unemployment rate fell to 1.8%, the lowest since February, between July and September, when two satellite casinos closed.
The only one of the 11 satellite casinos expected to remain open is the Royal Arc. On 20 November, SJM confirmed the acquisition of the company that owns the Royal Arc for HK$1.75 billion (€195.2 million).
The company initially announced plans to acquire the hotels where Ponte 16 and Royal Arc are located and to ask the authorities to take over the direct management of the gaming venues.
Satellite casinos, under the jurisdiction of concessionaires, are managed by other companies, a legacy of the Portuguese administration that existed before the liberalisation of gambling in the territory in 2002.
When the legislation regulating casinos was amended in 2022, the end of 2025 was set as the deadline for these gaming venues to cease operations.
VQ/ADB // ADB.
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