Two Macau satellite casinos are to cease operations at the end of October, according to Monday announcements by their respective licence holders.
Casino Emperor Palace, located at the Grand Emperor Hotel in Macau’s central business district, will stop operating at 11.59pm on Thursday (October 30), said licence holder SJM Resorts Ltd. The move was confirmed in respective Monday filings to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange by the casino group’s listed business SJM Holdings Ltd, and by Emperor Entertainment Hotel Ltd, the controller of the hotel itself.
The latter stressed it would “continue to engage in hospitality business” at the Grand Emperor site.
Waldo Casino, under the licence of Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd, will end its gaming business on Friday (October 31). The gaming venue is inside the Waldo Hotel, near to the Outer Harbour on Macau peninsula.
As of a GGRAsia check at Waldo Casino on October 13, live multi-game (LMG) electronic table game zones on the first, third and fifth floors of the building were already shut to the public. A few traditional live-dealer baccarat tables were open on the ground floor.
The closure of Waldo Casino and Casino Emperor Palace will leave seven satellites remaining in Macau, all of them under SJM Resorts licensing.
They are: Casino Landmark, Casino Kam Pek Paradise, Casino Casa Real, Casino Fortuna, Casino Ponte 16, Casino Le Royal Arc (also known as Casino L’Arc Macau), and Casino Legend Palace.
Of those, SJM Resorts has said it will take the gaming operation at the Ponte 16 resort near the Inner Harbour, and at L’Arc Macau in the NAPE district downtown, into its core operations.
Five more satellites to shut by year-end
The balance of five satellites will need to shutter gaming operations by year-end. A possible avenue for continuation beyond then – via a management-fee setup suggested by revisions made in 2022 to Macau’s gaming law, rather than satellites sharing gaming revenue with licensees – has not been adopted between the various third-party investors and SJM Resorts.
SJM Resorts said in its Monday update regarding the casino inside Grand Emperor: “All gaming tables and gaming machines currently operating at the location will be redeployed to other casinos of the company to continue serving our valued customers.”
The licensee added: “Customers holding chips, deposits, or cash rebates accumulated at Casino Emperor Palace that remain unredeemed after its closure may visit other casinos operated by SJM Resorts from October 31, 2025 onwards for follow-up arrangements.
“The company will ensure that all customer entitlements are duly honoured.”
The firm added: it placed “strong emphasis” on safeguarding local employment.
“All local employees” at Casino Emperor Palace directly employed by SJM Resorts will be “reassigned to other casinos of the company to undertake gaming-related roles according to operational needs”, it said.
Locals at Casino Emperor Palace not employed by SJM Resorts “will be invited to apply for related vacancies within the group with priority in hiring under equal circumstances, and will be provided with the necessary support, depending on the actual situation, to facilitate a smooth transition.”
Galaxy Entertainment said of Waldo Casino, referring first to the local regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, also known as DICJ: “With DICJ’s approval, the gaming tables currently operating at Waldo Casino will be reallocated to other casinos” under the group.
The firm – also known as GEG – added: “Local team members currently working at Waldo Casino will be reassigned to other casinos or non-gaming roles under GEG based on operational needs, with all employment terms remaining unchanged.”
It further stated it would “ensure related customer interests”. Effective from November 1, “valid chips bearing the Galaxy Waldo logo may be redeemed at designated counters at Galaxy Macau Casino or StarWorld Casino,” the firm said, referring to core properties in Cotai and downtown Macau respectively.
The casino regulator outlined in a Monday statement: “The DICJ will designate staff to oversee the formal closure process onsite,” at both properties.
DICJ added: “Regarding the 71 workers at the Casino Emperor Palace and 111 workers at the Waldo Casino , the DICJ will continue to maintain close communication with the Labour Affairs Bureau.”
This was to “ensure strict compliance” with the commitments made by SJM Resorts and Galaxy Entertainment regarding the relocation of workers affected by the closures, as well as “effective guarantees regarding their remuneration, benefits and working conditions, providing them with opportunities to change jobs, with a view to ensuring their continued employment.”
