Macau Golden Group ends all VIP ops on March 30: sources

March 30, 2022 Macau Crime & Legal Industry Updates

Macau Golden Group, a veteran presence in the city’s VIP gambling market, and a long-term junket-investor partner to local casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd, is to terminate “all” VIP gaming operation on March 30, GGRAsia has learned.

That is according to a Sunday memo Macau Golden Group sent to its staff, and which has been seen by GGRAsia. The junket firm told staff the step was made following “careful consideration”, but said it understood the “grievous” nature of the move.

In the circular, the firm pledged to compensate staff in accordance with local labour laws, for termination of employment.

To date, Macau Golden Group’s ongoing junket VIP gaming operation has been located solely at the Grand Lisboa casino hotel, the main Macau peninsula property of SJM Holdings, two industry sources familiar with the situation told us.

GGRAsia has sought comment from SJM Holdings, but had not received a reply by the time this story went online.

Junkets historically have introduced high-value players to Macau casinos’ VIP gambling operations. But the junket sector has been in the spotlight since November following the detention of Alvin Chau Cheok Wa, and the cessation of business at his junket brand Suncity Group.

More recently, the VIP trade has seen the arrest of Levo Chan Weng Lin, boss of junket brand Tak Chun.

A number of the city’s casino operators had confirmed previously that junkets had ceased operations at their respective properties in Macau.