Macau’s turbulent casino sector faces another major shake-up. Casino Legend Palace, operated under the concession of SJM Resorts Ltd and located inside the luxurious Legend Palace Hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf, will permanently close its doors at 11:59 p.m. on November 12, 2025. The closure marks one more chapter in the gradual dismantling of Macau’s once-dominant satellite casino model, a system that linked independent properties to major gaming concessionaires.
According to official statements from Macau Legend Development Ltd, all gaming tables and slot machines from the property will be redeployed to SJM’s core casinos, including Grand Lisboa Palace and Lisboa. The decision follows steep financial losses — roughly HK$ 1.42 billion (US $180 million) reported in the first half of 2025 — driven by declining visitor traffic and increased regulatory pressure on satellite operations.
The end of the Legend Palace is not an isolated event. It comes after the earlier shutdown of the Babylon Casino in June 2025, also managed by Macau Legend, and precedes other planned withdrawals as the government enforces new gaming-license rules. The updated Gaming Law (2022 revision) required satellite venues to be owned directly by concessionaires, rather than operated independently under profit-sharing agreements. Many smaller partners failed to meet those standards, prompting a wave of exits.
Industry insiders estimate that more than half of Macau’s original 18 satellite casinos have already closed or been absorbed by larger groups since 2023. The few still running under transitional deals — such as the Rio Casino and the President Casino, both tied to Galaxy Entertainment Group — are expected to phase out within the next 12 months.
Analysts say the restructuring reflects a strategic consolidation of the world’s largest gaming market. Macau is focusing on “quality-over-quantity,” emphasizing luxury resorts, conventions, and non-gaming attractions to align with Beijing’s diversification goals. Yet the immediate impact has been painful: reduced employment opportunities, less gaming floor diversity, and diminished rental income for property owners.
For investors, the message is clear — the days of fragmented satellite operations are over. Operators must now adapt to an ecosystem dominated by six licensed concessionaires with tighter oversight, higher compliance costs, and a sharper focus on integrated-resort models.
As the lights go out at the Legend Palace, the glow of Macau’s casino skyline grows more centralized than ever. What was once a mosaic of independent gambling halls is fast transforming into a streamlined, regulated market — an investment still secure, but no longer imbatible in numbers.
