The satellite casinos at Ponte 16 Resort and Hotel Fortuna shut earlier in December 2025, Macau Business reported, in the same month that Casino Landmark, the last satellite casino in Macau, closed its doors at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday1.
Casino Landmark operated within the New Orient Landmark Hotel on the Macau peninsula under the gaming license of SJM Holdings1. In its final hour, a check by Macau Business found only six baccarat tables on the ground floor still active, with the rest of the gaming floors already closed1. The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) said it had been working with the Labour Affairs Bureau to ensure SJM met its responsibilities to the 1,169 employees affected by the Casino Landmark closure1.
The closures follow the Macau government's 2022 overhaul of gaming regulations. Under the revised law, all casinos must operate within properties owned by licensed gaming concessionaires, and satellite casino companies are barred from sharing gaming revenue with concessionaires1. A three-year grace period ran through the end of 20251. By early 2025, only 11 satellite casinos remained in operation; all have since closed except Casino L'Arc, the sole venue to transition into a self-managed property under SJM1.
"Under the revised law, all casinos must now operate within properties owned by licensed gaming concessionaires."
The DICJ said in a statement earlier in December:
"DICJ will continue to coordinate with gaming concessionaires and relevant government departments to jointly promote the healthy and orderly development of Macau's gaming industry."
What it means for players
The satellite casino model, which allowed third-party entities to operate gaming venues under a concessionaire's license, has been effectively dismantled1. For players in Macau, that means the smaller, locally oriented venues that operated under this arrangement are no longer available. A local gambler quoted by Macau Business, who had visited other satellite casinos on their final days, described the Cotai casinos as grander but said the older venues "hold memories"1. A mainland Chinese gambler who traveled to Casino Landmark for a last visit said the environment was "less upscale" but "more down-to-earth and approachable, with a sense of nostalgia and history"1. Gaming in Macau now takes place at properties owned by the licensed concessionaires. Details on which venues remain open are set out in the guide to which Macau casinos closed in 2025, and the wider picture of shuttered venues is covered in closed casinos in Asia. Rules on entry and play at the remaining properties are in the guide to casinos and integrated resorts in Asia, and general access questions are covered under can I gamble in Macau. Mainland Chinese visitors should note that casino gambling is banned in mainland china, as referenced in the guide to gambling in China.
What happens next
The three-year grace period granted for compliance ran through the end of 20251. No further closures or transitions beyond Casino L'Arc have been reported. The DICJ said it would continue coordinating with concessionaires and government departments on the development of Macau's gaming industry1.
Sources1 sources
- Casino Landmark closes: end of an era | Macau Business, macaubusiness.com
