Two satellite casinos owned by Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) – Rio Casino and President Casino – closed yesterday, according to a GEG statement.
Both satellite casinos were located in hotels in Zape.
According to the statement, staff working for the two satellite casinos will be reassigned to other casinos operated by Galaxy, with their terms of employment remaining intact.
According to the statement, Galaxy has promised to provide different types of vocational training for the affected employees to help them adapt to the new working environment.
Moreover, while Emperor Entertainment Hotel Limited (Emperor E Hotel) had announced on April 1 that it would cease its casino operation with effect from June 27, a statement from SJM yesterday said that Emperor E Hotel had been in negotiations about new arrangements with SJM, as a result of which SJM would continue to run the casino operation at Grand Emperor Hotel from June 27 until the end of the year.
The city’s three gaming concessions and three sub-concessions will expire on June 26.
As such, according to SJM, Tin Hou, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Emperor E Hotel, entered into the agreement with SJM for the provision of the hotel room, catering and ancillary services to SJM for the gaming operation to be run by SJM at Grand Emperor Hotel in Nam Van.
According to the agreement between SJM and Tin Hou, the cap of all the fees payable by SJM to Emperor International Group and Emperor E Hotel Group for the provision of the hotel rooms, catering and ancillary services under the agreement was estimated to not exceed HK$21 million. Tin Hou also agreed to continue providing SJM the required space at Grand Emperor Hotel on a free-of-charge basis for the gaming operation to be run by SJM.
Meanwhile, Macau Power of Gaming Association President Stephen Lau Ka Weng told The Macau Post Daily yesterday that some employees currently employed at the city’s satellite casinos said they were facing the dilemma of either choosing to change their position at a lower salary or to quit.
Those who are working in the satellite casinos, Lau said, found it difficult to find a similar job and that if they did not accept the job change it could lead to them becoming jobless. Lau urged the government to protect the satellite casino workers’ employment rights.
According to local media reports, the number of satellite casinos, i.e., casinos owned by Macau’s six gaming operators (three concessionaires and three subconcessionaires) but run by third parties – junkets in particular – stood at up to 22 until recently.
Meanwhile, according to local media reports yesterday, Galaxy’s Waldo Casino in Zape will close later this month.
However, a gaming industry source reaffirmed to The Macau Post Daily last night that the satellite casino at Sofitel-operated hotel Ponte 16 will stay in business. It is one of the city’s many satellite casinos owned by gaming concessionaire SJM.
This photo taken yesterday at the entrance of Rio Casino shows a notice announcing that the casino and slot machines operations have been suspended and that the casino has been closed.
This photo taken yesterday at the entrance to the President Casino shows the announcement of its closure yesterday. Photos: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
