“The Fortuna Casino will officially cease operations at 11:59 PM [3:59 PM in Lisbon] on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. All gaming tables and machines currently operational at the venue will be transferred to other casinos directly operated by the company,” stated a release from SJM Resorts.
Three of the six gaming concessionaires operating in Macau – SJM, Galaxy, and Melco – informed authorities that by December 31, they will discontinue the operation of 11 ‘satellite casinos’, announced the local government in June.
The ‘satellite casinos’, managed by other companies under the concessionaires, are a legacy of Portuguese administration and existed prior to the liberalization of gaming in the territory in 2002.
When the legislation governing casinos was amended in 2022, the end of 2025 was set as the deadline for phasing out these gaming spaces.
The operators could choose to assume direct management of the casinos, close them, or sign new management contracts, but without revenue-sharing, as stipulated by the new law.
Highlighting its commitment to “the protection of local employment”, the company also indicated that “all local employees employed by SJM” will continue to work and “be transferred to other company casinos to perform gaming-related functions, according to operational needs”.
Meanwhile, local staff not directly hired by SJM Resorts “are invited to apply for open positions within the group,” with “priority for hiring” and under the same conditions they previously had, the statement added.
The Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) confirmed today that it will “rigorously supervise the closure procedures” of this casino.
Regarding the 553 employees of Fortuna, the DICJ assured, in a press note, that it will maintain communication with the Labour Affairs Bureau to ensure compliance with the assurances given by SJM, particularly “the relocation of all respective workers”.
Eight of Macau’s 11 ‘satellite casinos’ have already closed. The last one to shut its doors on Monday was Kam Pek Paradise, with nearly 600 employees.
DICJ also noted that the closing of Kam Pek Paradise, also of SJM Resorts, “proceeded in an orderly manner”.
As the world’s gaming capital, Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.
Six concessionaires operate in the territory, MGM, Galaxy, Venetian, Melco, Wynn, and SJM, which renewed their concession contracts in December 2023 for the next ten years, effective January 1, 2024.
