written and last updated by
Sam Smith at
28 Aug 2025
Journalist, Editorial Department
Macau's SJM Resorts has agreed to pay $68 million (5.5 billion rubles) to its parent company, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM), for the acquisition of a 7,504-square-meter space in the Lisboa Hotel. This area will soon house gaming slots and machines from the closing satellite casinos.
According to SJM, this transaction represents a "strategic resource reallocation" that will allow for an expansion of the Lisboa casino, boosting its profitability and improving margins.
In June, SJM announced plans to cease gaming operations at all nine of its satellite casinos in Macau by the end of the year. The tables and machines will be transferred to properties that are fully owned by the company. At that time, SJM representatives expressed interest in acquiring two satellite casinos—Ponte 16 and L’Arc. However, there have been no updates on these potential deals since then.
The Lisboa Hotel, opened in 1970 by Stanley Ho, was once the only five-star hotel in Macau and paved the way for the large integrated resorts that now define the region. In 2007, SJM launched the larger, modern Grand Lisboa hotel nearby.
"This strategic development will enhance the competitiveness of the SJM brand by increasing customer loyalty in both the VIP and mass market segments," the company stated. "Additionally, we will be able to retain geographically loyal customers from the former satellite casinos. Our goal is to support the long-term viability of the Macau peninsula by creating expanded tourism offerings that attract visitors and provide new opportunities for trade and business."
It is worth noting that gaming taxes in Macau exceeded $1 billion (80.6 billion rubles) in July, marking one of the most significant revenue streams for the peninsula's budget.
