Content Writer: Janice Chew • Saturday, 25/11/2025 - 18:28:55 - PM
The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Department (DICJ) in Macau has stepped in to supervise the closure of Casino Ponte 16 next week, as part of the sweeping restructure of the city’s satellite-casino ecosystem. The regulator has flagged 1,025 employees whose roles will be disrupted by the closure and has mandated that they be guaranteed relocation opportunities within SJM’s network, with full continuity of salary, benefits and working conditions.
SJM Resorts confirmed that all local employees directly hired by the company at Ponte 16 will be reassigned to other SJM-operated casinos, while those employed externally will be invited to apply for vacancies within the group under equal terms and priority treatment. This redeployment commitment supports broader government efforts to safeguard jobs amid the gaming-sector shake-up.
The closure of Ponte 16 is slated for 11:59 pm on 28 November 2025, following SJM’s decision to terminate its previously announced acquisition of the venue. SJM cited “a thorough assessment of long-term business planning, commercial considerations and resource prioritisation” as the reason for abandoning its purchase of the property.
This move aligns with Macau’s regulatory changes under the amended gaming law: satellite casinos—third-party gaming venues operated under concession licences—must either be brought under direct casino-operator control or shuttered by 31 December 2025. The redeployment and regulatory supervision illustrate how authorities aim to balance industry restructuring with employment stability.