Mocha Hotel Royal, a slot machine club operated under the concession of Melco Resorts (Macau) S.A., ceased operations at 11:59 p.m. on 28 December 20251. The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) said it coordinated the subsequent closure procedures on the morning of 29 December, working with several departments to ensure the process complied with legal requirements1. One report describes the venue as having officially ceased operations on 29 December, following the suspension of all gaming machine activities at 11:59 p.m. on 28 December3.
After the shutdown, the DICJ immediately suspended all gaming machines and oversaw equipment removal and site clearance1. Personnel from the Labour Affairs Bureau were on site to assist affected employees and provide a support hotline, while officers from the Public Security Police Force and the Judiciary Police maintained order1. The Labour Affairs Bureau also set up a dedicated consultation hotline for affected staff3.
Melco announced in June that it would close three Mocha clubs: Mocha Hotel Royal, Mocha Kuong Fat and Mocha Golden Dragon2. Mocha Kuong Fat and Mocha Golden Dragon closed in September and mid-November respectively2. Before closing, Melco said Mocha Hotel Royal's slot machines would be reallocated, with DICJ approval, to other Melco casinos in the Macau SAR, and that local staff would be reassigned to other Melco casinos and gaming areas according to operational needs2. Customers holding slot machine cash vouchers (TITO) from Mocha Hotel Royal can continue to use them at other Melco venues, including Altira Macau, Mocha Inner Harbour, Mocha Golden Dragon and Mocha Hotel Sintra2.
Separately, the DICJ approved the continued operation of three Mocha-branded slot machine parlors under Melco beyond the year-end expiry of the satellite casino transition period1. Effective 1 January 2026, Mocha Golden Dragon, Mocha Inner Harbour and Mocha Hotel Sintra will remain open, run by a management company engaged by Melco1. The bureau said this arrangement will not affect the existing labor relationships between the staff of the three parlors and Melco1.
"Effective 1 January 2026, the Mocha Golden Dragon, Mocha Inner Harbour and Mocha Hotel Sintra slot-machine parlors will remain open, to be run by a management company engaged by Melco."
The changes come as the three-year transition period granted to satellite casinos concludes at the end of 20251. The Macau SAR Government approved gaming concessionaire SJM Resorts to assume direct management and operation of L'Arc Casino from 2:00 a.m. on 30 December 20251. Of the eleven satellite casinos operating earlier in the year, L'Arc is the only one to continue operations through the transition to a concessionaire-wholly-owned arrangement under the SAR's new gaming law1. Casino Landmark, the last satellite casino still in operation, was set to close on 30 December1.
What it means for players
Mocha Hotel Royal is no longer available for play, and its machines have been removed1. Players holding TITO vouchers issued at that venue can still redeem them at Altira Macau, Mocha Inner Harbour, Mocha Golden Dragon and Mocha Hotel Sintra2. The three surviving Mocha slot parlors, listed in the Melco Resorts (Macau) Limited guide, continue to operate from 1 January 2026 under a management company engaged by Melco1. The wider reshaping of Macau's satellite casino sector is covered in the Macau gambling guide and the casinos and integrated resorts guide.
What happens next
SJM Resorts takes over direct management and operation of L'Arc Casino from 2:00 a.m. on 30 December 20251. Casino Landmark was scheduled to close on 30 December1. The three Mocha slot parlors continue under the management company arrangement from 1 January 20261. The DICJ said it will continue to coordinate with gaming concessionaires and relevant government departments to foster the healthy and orderly development of Macau's gaming industry1.
