Macau Casino Workforce Shrinks as Satellite Closures Loom
Macau’s casinos have long operated on the strength of a massive workforce dealers, cage clerks, supervisors and countless support roles. But the familiar pattern of constant growth has now reversed, and the city’s gaming labour market is entering a quieter, more compressed phase.
Workforce contraction accelerates
Fresh figures from the Statistics and Census Service reveal that the sector shrank for the third consecutive quarter in Q3 2025. By the end of September, gaming-related employment stood at 68,900 people, a 3.6% decline year-on-year and the lowest level since late 2023, when numbers hovered just above 67,000.
The steepest losses were in front-line betting operations. Staff handling tables, chips and cash including croupiers and cage teams fell 6.6% year-on-year to 38,800 workers, extending a multi-quarter slide.
Satellite casinos fade out, taking jobs with them
The downturn coincides with Macau’s phased dismantling of its satellite casino system, a decades-old structure that allowed privately owned hotels to operate gaming under concessionaire partnerships. Under the new concession rules, these venues will no longer earn a share of gaming revenue and may only operate through licensed management companies, rendering many business models unsustainable.
What was once a network of over a dozen satellite properties has nearly disappeared. Today, just six remain: Casa Real, Landmark, Kam Pek Paradise, Fortuna, Ponte 16 and L’Arc. Casa Real has already announced it will close on 21 November, moments before midnight.
Thousands impacted as the city restructures
Authorities estimate 5,600 workers will be affected once satellites fully exit the market: around 4,800 Macau-resident staff employed through concessionaires, 800 directly hired by satellite owners and about 400 migrant workers.
The government is urging operators to offer roles to local employees displaced by the closures, aiming to avoid a spike in unemployment as the gaming market consolidates around the six main licensees.
A shift from expansion to consolidation
For nearly two decades, each new casino opening brought hiring drives and steady upward employment trends. Today, the industry is navigating a different reality fewer properties, fewer tables and a more concentrated operational structure.
The transition raises a pivotal question for both regulators and operators:
In a Macau with fewer casinos and tighter business models, what will a sustainable, long-term workforce actually look like?
