Seven satellite casinos in Macau, located in the NAPE district and Taipa, will close and exit the market by the middle of 2022, according to gaming operators cited in a report published on 2022-03-291. The closures were reported before the completion of the city's gaming law amendment1.
Four of the seven are operated by the Golden Dragon Group: Golden Dragon Casino, Royal Dragon Casino and Million Dragon Casino, all running under the SJM Resorts license, plus Casa Real Casino under the Melco license1. The other three are Galaxy Entertainment-licensed venues: Waldo Casino, Rio Casino and President Casino1. Chinese media outlet Allin Media said more satellite casinos could follow in the months ahead1.
The closures come as Macau's Legislative Assembly debated the gaming law bill, with heated discussion over the future of the satellite casino industry1. The amended gaming law requires future casinos to be located in premises owned by the gaming operator, with a three-year transition period allowing operators to establish new cooperation arrangements with satellite casinos1. This indicates operators may need to acquire some or all of the 18 satellite casinos if those venues wish to keep operating1. If the concessionaire a satellite casino currently depends on wins a new gaming license in the upcoming tender, the three-year transition period counts from the first day the new license takes effect1.
The government recently indicated it intends to extend the current gaming license term from 2022-06-26 by six months to 2022-12-31, which would mean the transition period could start in early 20231. However, the current six gaming operators appear unlikely to acquire many satellite casinos, because satellite casinos lack the scale of the operators' own integrated resorts1.
What it means for players
The seven venues named are Golden Dragon, Royal Dragon, Million Dragon, Casa Real, Waldo, Rio and President1. Players who use these satellite casinos in NAPE and Taipa should expect them to stop operating by mid-2022, though the report does not give specific closing dates for each venue1. The report also says more satellite casinos may follow in the coming months, so the list of venues could grow1. The amended gaming law's requirement that casinos sit in operator-owned premises, and the three-year transition period, mean the legal footing for satellite venues that stay open is still being worked out1. No details have been reported on what happens to outstanding chips, deposits or player accounts at the closing venues.
What happens next
The government has indicated it intends to extend the current gaming license term from 2022-06-26 by six months to 2022-12-311. If that happens, the three-year transition period for satellite casinos would count from the first day a new license takes effect, which the report says could mean early 20231. Whether the current six operators acquire any of the 18 satellite casinos has not been decided1.
Sources1 sources
- 多間衛星場擬結業 包括金龍集團四間, 新華澳報, waou.com.mo
