Melco Completes Closure of Mocha Kuong Fat Following Grand Dragon’s Exit

In a swift follow-up to its earlier shutdown of the Grand Dragon satellite casino, Melco Resorts & Entertainment has officially completed the closure of its Mocha Kuong Fat slot club at 11:59 pm on 24 September, under the supervision of Macau’s gaming regulator, the DICJ. The DICJ confirmed that it coordinated with multiple government departments to ensure the suspension process proceeded legally and orderly—including managing premises evacuation, handling cash and gaming assets, and ensuring compliance with regulatory protocols.

Melco had previously announced that its Grand Dragon Casino would cease operations at 23:59 on 22 September, and the sequential shuttering of Mocha Kuong Fat followed two days later. Meanwhile, the closure dates for its other Mocha-branded venues—Mocha Grand Dragon Hotel and Mocha Royal Hotel—are expected to be disclosed in due course. 

Under the restructuring plan, Melco will redeploy its gaming assets—reallocating the casino tables from Grand Dragon to its flagship integrated resort, City of Dreams, and shifting electronic gaming machines from Mocha venues to Altira, Studio City, and other properties. The company has also pledged to protect employee interests by reassigning affected staff across its Macau operations to preserve job stability. 

These developments come amid a broader transformation in Macau’s gaming landscape, driven by regulatory reforms introduced in 2022. Under the amended gaming laws, satellite casinos must either be fully owned and operated by licenced operators or cease operations altogether by the end of 2025. Melco’s move reflects this shift toward consolidation and a focus on integrated resorts, while also signaling compliance with the Macau SAR government’s mandate to streamline the industry.