Casino Landmark will halt operations at 23:59 on 30 December, concluding Macau’s long-running satellite casino framework. The shutdown follows the final year of the city’s transition period that requires all satellite venues to close or be absorbed by concessionaires under the revised gaming law.
Final Closure Marks End of Satellite Operations
Casino Landmark operates under the licence of SJM Resorts, which confirmed the closing date after reaching an agreement with the venue’s service provider. The casino’s exit follows the shutdown of Casino Fortuna earlier in December and continues a series of closures that have taken place since mid-year. Authorities said the earlier shutdowns proceeded in an orderly manner and complied with established procedures.
Regulators will deploy personnel to oversee Landmark’s final day. In its statement, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau noted that inspectors had previously intervened at other sites by suspending gaming tables, coordinating support between departments, managing evacuations, and ensuring public order with the help of labour officials, security forces, and judicial police.
The bureau also said its staff will remain stationed at Casino Landmark to supervise compliance with SJM’s submitted plan. The government intends to continue monitoring the company’s commitments regarding the relocation of all affected workers. The Labour Affairs Bureau will work alongside SJM to review guarantees concerning “remuneration, benefits, and working conditions” for the 1,169 employees tied to the venue.
SJM stated that once operations cease, all gaming tables and machines will be transferred to its self-promoted properties across Macau. Guests holding outstanding chips, deposits, or cash rebates will be able to redeem them at other SJM casinos beginning 31 December. In its announcement, the company reiterated that all entitlements would be honoured in full.
Employment matters have been central throughout the satellite closures. According to Asia Gaming Brief, SJM confirmed that staff directly employed by the company will remain part of the organisation and take on roles at other properties as needed. Individuals not directly employed by SJM will receive priority consideration for available positions. Wider industry data shows that more than 4,000 satellite employees across multiple venues must be integrated into SJM’s core operations following the sequential closures.
Regulatory Framework and Industry Transition
Satellite casinos once played a prominent role in Macau’s gaming market, with 22 such venues in earlier years and 18 operating when amendments to the Gaming Law were introduced in 2022. Under the revised rules, management companies may no longer operate casinos under a concessionaire’s licence. Authorities set a three-year grace period expiring at the end of 2025 for satellites to shut down or be wholly acquired.
With Landmark’s final day approaching, all remaining satellite venues have now either ceased operations or begun transitioning toward full ownership by their respective concessionaires. L’Arc, the only other satellite still active earlier this year, is currently undergoing full acquisition by SJM. The SJM parent company has outlined plans to spend HKD1.75 billion to purchase the L’Arc Hotel, bringing the casino into its core peninsula cluster alongside Casino Lisboa and Grand Lisboa.
Casino Landmark, located within the New Orient Landmark Hotel on the Macau peninsula, represents the last operating satellite venue to close. The closure marks the end of a structure that shaped a significant part of Macau’s gaming landscape for decades. Officials say they will continue coordinating with concessionaires and government departments to maintain stability as the transition concludes.
