SJM Holdings to take over Diamond Casino
SJM Holdings will take over the day-to-day operations of Diamond Casino in Macau after plans were revealed to shut down the venue at the end of July.
Inside Asian Gaming reports that according to an internal memo sent to staff by the property’s operator, long time Stanley Ho and Melco Resorts associate Christine Szeto Yuk-lin, Diamond Casino will close on July 31, due to a lack of business since the start of the pandemic.
“Due to the pandemic and no income for the past 18 months, our casino and other departments will stop operating from July 31,” the memo said.
“Thank you for all your contributions to the company. I feel helpless about this decision.”
Although the memo did not mention the fate of Holiday Inn hotel where Diamond Casino is located, Chinese-language media outlets have reported that SJM would operate the casino directly via SJM Resorts, the subsidiary that holds the company’s Macau gaming concession.
Diamond Casino, one of 14 third-party or satellite casinos operating under the licence of SJM, is located on the Macau peninsula, about 300 metres east of SJM’s Grand Lisboa.
Aside from Grand Lisboa, SJM operates four other “self-promoted” casinos including Hotel Lisboa and is preparing to launch its US$5 billion Cotai integrated resort Grand Lisboa Palace.
Dining plans unveiled for Grand Lisboa Palace
The soon to be launched Cotai casino has outlined a list of dining options.
The Grand Buffet, formerly one of the highlights of the Grand Lisboa casino-hotel will be relaunched with more than 600 international delicacies available, embracing Chinese, Western and Asian cuisines.
Other eateries at the complex include Mesa, a contemporary Portuguese restaurant; Chalou, a classic tea house designed by renowned Hong Kong designer Alan Chan; and Macau’s first Wulao branch, a famous Taiwanese hotpot restaurant chain.
These offerings are to be complemented by several casual dining options, such as the GLP Cafe, Eight Treasures and GLP Lobby Lounge.
Daisy Ho Chiu Fung, chairman of SJM Holdings said the company’s vision is to develop Grand Lisboa Palace as a gastronomy hub for food lovers worldwide, who will be impressed by the curated and innovative dining experiences delivered by acclaimed self-established brands and food and beverage partners from different parts of the world.”
The company said other restaurants would be “launched progressively over the coming 12 months,” including a Michelin-starred restaurant concept from Italy, and a Japanese outlet by a Michelin-starred chef.
Grand Lisboa Palace was due to open in the first half of 2021, with SJM saying that the property would be launched “soon”.
Fake gambling website surfaces
A Macau casino operator has distanced itself from an online gambling website that is using its brand.
The fraudulent site operates under the “Sands Macao” name and is based out of Guangdong Province.
“Sands Online Gambling Corp is using our company’s property name and trademarks without our permission and in breach of the law,” Sands China said, and noted that the company “does not engage in online gambling activities of any kind and vigorously pursues all reports of trademark infringement.”
“All websites purporting to offer online gaming and using our brands are fake and should be reported to the relevant authorities immediately.”
The statement was released after Guangdong police began investigating two cases of online gambling business, one of which is the Sands Macao that illegitimately exploited the brand name and is said to be active since 2020.
