Content Writer: Janice Chew • Monday, 25/10/2025 - 23:02:43 - PM
SJM Holdings (SJM) has announced that its satellite casino Casino Emperor Palace will close at 11:59 pm on Thursday (30 October 2025). The decision follows an agreement between SJM and Tin Hou Entertainment Group—an indirect subsidiary of Emperor Entertainment Hotel Group—to terminate the service contract earlier than originally planned. The cessation will result in all gaming tables and machines being redeployed to other SJM-operated venues. Local employees directly employed by SJM will be reassigned within the group, while external staff working at the site will be invited to apply for vacancies across SJM properties.
This move is part of a broader restructuring effort by SJM amid regulatory changes in Macau’s gaming sector. Under the amended law, satellite casinos—venues operated under a concessionaire’s licence but located in third-party owned premises—must either be absorbed or shut by 31 December 2025. SJM has indicated it will close seven of its nine satellite properties this year, either by shutdown or conversion, while targeting direct ownership of the remaining two.
Industry observers note that such closures are occurring ahead of the year-end deadline. Challenges such as significant marketing and PR staff departures from smaller venues are contributing to early shutdowns: larger operators are poaching entire teams that satellites rely on to bring in customers, leaving them unsustainable. The loss of staffing, combined with the regulatory imperative to restructure, has accelerated the shutdown of satellites like Casino Emperor Palace.
For SJM, the consolidation offers potential operational benefits. By redirecting gaming assets and staff into its core properties—like the Hotel Lisboa floor space it has expanded—SJM aims to streamline management, remove reliance on third-party operators, and improve margin efficiency in a more regulated environment. Nevertheless, the closures raise concerns about local employment and the impact on smaller neighbourhood casinos and their surrounding businesses.