Macau satellite casino Landmark to halt business on December 30

Satellite venue Casino Landmark (pictured), part of the New Orient Landmark Hotel on Macau peninsula, is due to cease operations at 11.59 pm, December 30, according to a Wednesday announcement from SJM Resorts Ltd. The venue is run under the gaming licence of SJM Resorts, a unit of Hong Kong-listed SJM Holdings Ltd.

“Customers holding chips, deposits or cash rebates accumulated at Casino Landmark that remain unredeemed after its closure may visit other self-promoted casinos operated by SJM Resorts from 31 December 2025 onwards for follow-up arrangements,” the announcement stated.

Under regulatory changes parallel to the city’s new gaming concessions that started in January 2023, the legacy arrangements for satellite business will not be possible from the end of this year.

The Macau operators that have directly employed staff at satellites have pledged to the government to absorb those employees into their core business.

In a Wednesday press release, Macau’s casino regulator – the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau – said that it would continue to work with Labour Affairs Bureau regarding SJM Resorts’ pledged relocation of the 1,169 staff working at Casino Landmark.

GGRAsia’s review of publicly-announced data concerning the rolling closure of satellites – most of them having operated under SJM Holdings’ licensing – indicates that so far 4,149 employees must be absorbed back into the SJM group’s core operations.

Following the closure of Casino Landmark, Macau would no longer have any satellite gaming venue in operation.  

From July onwards, the group has seen a phased closure of satellite venues, namely: Casino Grandview; Casino Grand Emperor Palace; Casino Legend Palace; Casino Casa Real; Casino Ponte 16; Casino Kam Pek Paradise; and Casino Fortuna, with Casino Landmark due to shut by the year end.

The SJM parent announced is set to spend HKD1.75 billion (US$224.8 million) to acquire L’Arc Hotel the location of the Casino L’Arc satellite, and absorb it into core operations. The parent said that venue would form part of a “core peninsula cluster” of properties, alongside the group’s Casino Lisboa and the next-door Grand Lisboa gaming resort.