The Landmark Casino, Macao’s last standing satellite casino, is set to permanently close on 30 December 2025 at 11:59 pm. The property’s shuttering will mark the end of an era for the local gambling industry, which has been closing down its satellite properties throughout this year in compliance with government regulations introduced in 2022.
In an announcement made yesterday, casino operator SJM Resorts said that the Landmark Casino’s gaming tables and gaming machines would be moved to other SJM properties for continued use.
Meanwhile, directly employed local workers would be allocated to relevant positions in the company’s other casinos, with indirectly-employed staff “invited to apply for related vacancies” in the firm. All in all, 1,169 staff members will be impacted by the venue’s shuttering.
The announcement of the Landmark’s closure comes after the shutting down of another SJM satellite casino, Casino Fortuna, which officially ceased operations on Tuesday.
According to Macao’s gaming regulator, the shutdown operation was carried out “smoothly,” with law enforcement present to maintain order.
Last month also witnessed the closure of the satellite casino at Ponte 16. SJM had originally intended to continue operating the casino by directly acquiring it, alongside Casino L’Arc.
[See more: Satellite casinos in Macao: what their closure means for the future]
However, the acquisition of the Ponte 16 casino fell through after what the casino operator described as “a thorough assessment of long-term business planning, commercial considerations and resource prioritisation.”
At the beginning of this year, Macao had 11 satellite casinos in operation, including Grand View Casino, Grand Dragon Casino, Casino Emperor Palace, Waldo Casino, Legend Palace, Casa Real Casino, Casino Ponte 16, Kam Pek Paradise Casino, Casino Fortuna, Casino L’Arc and the Landmark.
Only two of them remain standing – the Landmark and Casino L’Arc, which will cease to be a satellite casino once SJM’s HK$1.75 billion acquisition of the L’Arc Hotel is finalised.
Under Macao’s revised 2022 gaming law, satellite casinos are no longer allowed to be operated by third-parties under the license of a local gaming concessionaire. A transition period of three years was given to these venues, during which they either had to be closed down or sold off to a concessionaire before the end of 31 December 2025.
The shuttering of satellite casinos has stoked fears of an economic downturn in districts such as ZAPE, where a large number of satellite venues were found.
In response, the SAR government has launched measures and events to support small businesses in the area, including the ZAPE Taste Jam food market and the upcoming Light Up Macao 2025.
