Landmark Casino Closes at the Eleventh Hour
Residents and Tourists Bid Farewell
Satellite Casinos Become History
Landmark Casino, the last remaining satellite casino, ceased operations at 11:59 p.m. yesterday. Over a hundred residents and tourists gathered at the scene to witness the historic moment when satellite casinos became a thing of the past. Even some mainland gamblers and live-streamers broadcast the shutdown of Landmark Casino and the end of the satellite casino era in real time.
Some residents came specifically to witness this event, while certain mainland gamblers expressed regret that the disappearance of satellite casinos has stripped the area of its distinctive Macao charm.
A Top Favorite Among Tourists for High Gaming Revenues
In recent years, Landmark Casino has been one of the most profitable satellite casinos, topping the revenue charts among such venues every month and enjoying immense popularity with tourists.
As the three-year transition period for satellite casinos drew to a close on December 31 this year, licensed gaming operator SJM Resorts announced the closure date of Landmark Casino earlier this month, making it the last satellite casino to halt operations.
At around 11 p.m. last night, more than a hundred people had already gathered at the side entrance of Landmark Casino in the New District Walking Area, waiting for the closure and the historic end of satellite casinos.
As every minute ticked by, residents and tourists held up their phones, ready to capture the moment. Several mainland live-streamers also broadcast the shutdown live, narrating the on-site atmosphere while sharing the history of Macao’s gaming industry and satellite casinos.
Red Curtain Lowering Enters Macao’s Gaming History Books
At the stroke of midnight, staff moved to lower the red curtain at Landmark Casino. However, a minor hiccup occurred when the rope mechanism malfunctioned, preventing the curtain from falling smoothly.
In the end, workers had to use a lift to manually lower the curtain—a quirky, unintended sign of the “reluctance” to bid farewell. All past glories fade with time, and satellite casinos have now officially entered Macao’s gaming history.
Small-Scale Gaming Was the Essence of Macao’s Charm
Mr. Lo, a local resident, took a photo with his wife at the entrance of Landmark Casino after witnessing its closure. He said he has visited casinos to try his luck every Chinese New Year, and Landmark Casino has always been one of his go-to spots.
Learning that it would shut down at midnight, he made a special trip to witness the historic moment. While he feels sorry and nostalgic about the end of satellite casinos, he has no choice but to accept the change, adding that he will have to resort to larger, mainstream casinos for his New Year gaming activities in the future.
Mr. Qin, a frequent mainland gambler visiting Macao, said he comes to Macao several times a year for casual gaming, always choosing casinos around Beijing Street in the New District because the area best embodies Macao’s unique charm.
With the closure of Casino Fortuna and Landmark Casino, the New District Walking Street has lost its vibrancy and its distinct Macao flavor. Although there are other casinos to gamble in, they can never replicate the atmosphere of the old town.
On June 9 this year, the Macao SAR Government announced that it had received notifications from three gaming operators—SJM Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment Group, and Melco Resorts & Entertainment—stating that 11 satellite casinos would be closed by December 31 this year.
Starting from the second half of the year, more than a dozen satellite casinos and community slot machine parlors have ceased operations in an orderly manner. Gaming operators have rearranged equipment and made arrangements for approximately 6,000 affected employees.
