Macau: doubts remain about how many satellite casinos will remain open

Macau’s chief executive expects only a few satellite casinos will close but the industry says six to eight will close this month.

Macau.- Doubts about the future of Macau’s satellite casinos continue. Macau’s chief executive, Ho Iat Seng, has sought to assure workers worried about their jobs that most of the satellite casinos should be able to continue operating unless the respective gaming franchisees or sub-franchisees terminate their contracts.

Ho Iat Seng told the official news agency, GCS, that few satellite casinos would go out of business and that there would not be a significant impact on employment. He also said that the SAR government is closely monitoring the unemployment situation.

Ho Iat Seng also stressed that the proposed changes to the existing laws are not aimed at changing the overall path of the industry’s development, but rather creating a clearer framework for the industry as a whole.

However, Kwok Chi Chung, the president of the Macau Association of Gaming and Entertainment Promoters, told Exmoo News that he knows six to eight satellite casinos are expected to cease operations by the end of June.

Chung said that while the gaming licences of the six local gaming franchisees will expire six months before December 31 this year, he believes some satellites will decide to shut down operations earlier to cut losses.

Golden Dragon Group has already stated it will close its four satellite casinos while Emperor Entertainment Hotel Limited also announced the closure of its casino at the Grand Emperor Hotel due to the difficult business operating environment caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years.

Not all Macau satellite casino jobs will be guaranteed

Kelvin Choi Kam Fu, director of the Macau Gaming Enterprises Staff’s Association has told Macau Daily News that he’s been informed that employees hired directly by satellite casinos will be laid off if the casino closes.

He said only those employees hired by a concessionaire will be rehired again and relocated to other hotels, possibly in other roles. Also, according to Kelvin Choi Kam Fu, in some cases, staff will keep their previous salary package if they agree to be transferred to other departments.