Melco Announces Developments in Relation to Mocha Clubs and Grand Dragon Casino
- Employee job security guaranteed through reassignment to other Melco properties
- Gaming equipment will be redistributed to other company locations, maintaining operational capacity
- Three Mocha Clubs planned to continue operations after December 2025
- Closure of Grand Dragon Casino and three Mocha Clubs by end of 2025
- Reduction in total number of operating venues in Macau
- Continuation of three remaining Mocha Clubs subject to regulatory approval
Insights
Melco's strategic consolidation of Macau operations shows resource optimization while maintaining employment and gaming capacity.
Melco's announcement represents a strategic consolidation of its Macau operations rather than an overall reduction in scale. The company plans to close Grand Dragon Casino and three Mocha Clubs (Hotel Royal, Kuong Fat, and Grand Dragon Hotel) before the end of 2025, while seeking approvals for three other Mocha Clubs to continue operations beyond December 2025.
What's particularly notable about this restructuring is that Melco has explicitly committed to reassigning all affected employees to other Melco properties in Macau within their current job functions. This approach helps Melco maintain workforce stability and institutional knowledge while avoiding potential severance costs and regulatory scrutiny in a market where labor relations are politically sensitive.
Similarly, Melco plans to redistribute all gaming tables and electronic gaming machines from the closing venues to its other Macau properties. This indicates the company isn't reducing its overall gaming capacity, but rather consolidating operations to potentially improve operational efficiency and profitability per square foot.
This move aligns with industry trends in Macau's post-pandemic gaming market, where operators are focusing on optimizing existing operations rather than expansion. For Melco specifically, this consolidation likely allows the company to concentrate resources on its premium properties like City of Dreams and Studio City while potentially reducing costs associated with operating smaller, possibly less profitable venues like the Mocha Clubs being closed.
MACAU, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (Nasdaq: MLCO) (“Melco” or the “Company”), a developer, owner and operator of integrated resort facilities in Asia and Europe, announced that, after considering the Company's overall development strategy and in accordance with Macau law, Grand Dragon Casino and three Mocha Clubs, namely Mocha Hotel Royal, Mocha Kuong Fat and Mocha Grand Dragon Hotel, will cease operations before the end of 2025. The employees working at these venues will be assigned to work at other properties of the Company in Macau, which will secure continued employment for these employees within their current job duties. Gaming tables and electronic gaming machines operating at the above-mentioned affected venues will also be re-allocated to, and continue operations at, other casinos or gaming areas of the Company in Macau.
In addition, the Company will apply for the relevant authorizations and approvals from the Macau SAR government for three Mocha Clubs, namely Mocha Inner Harbour, Mocha Hotel Sintra and Mocha Golden Dragon, to continue operations after December 2025, subject to compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (the “Company”) may also make forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, (i) changes in the gaming market and visitations in Macau, the Philippines and the Republic of Cyprus, (ii) local and global economic conditions, (iii) capital and credit market volatility, (iv) our anticipated growth strategies, (v) risks associated with the implementation of the amended Macau gaming law by the Macau government, (vi) gaming authority and other governmental approvals and regulations, and (vii) our future business development, results of operations and financial condition. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “target”, “aim”, “estimate”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, “potential”, “continue”, “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
About Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited
The Company, with its American depositary shares listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (Nasdaq: MLCO), is a developer, owner and operator of integrated resort facilities in Asia and Europe. The Company currently operates City of Dreams (www.cityofdreamsmacau.com) and Altira Macau (www.altiramacau.com), integrated resorts located in Cotai and Taipa, Macau, respectively. Its business also includes the Grand Dragon Casino, a casino located in Taipa, Macau and Mocha Clubs (www.mochaclubs.com), the largest non-casino based operator of electronic gaming machines in Macau. In addition, the Company operates Studio City (www.studiocity-macau.com), a cinematically-themed integrated resort in Cotai, Macau. In the Philippines, the Company operates and manages City of Dreams Manila (www.cityofdreamsmanila.com), an integrated resort in the Entertainment City complex in Manila. In Europe, the Company operates City of Dreams Mediterranean, an integrated resort in Limassol, in the Republic of Cyprus (www.cityofdreamsmed.com.cy) and licensed satellite casinos in other cities in Cyprus (the “Cyprus Casinos”). For more information about the Company, please visit www.melco-resorts.com.
The Company is majority owned by Melco International Development Limited, a company listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, which is in turn majority owned and led by Mr. Lawrence Ho, who is the Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
For the investment community, please contact:
Jeanny Kim
Senior Vice President, Group Treasurer
Tel: +852 2598 3698
Email: jeannykim@melco-resorts.com
For media enquiries, please contact:
Chimmy Leung
Executive Director, Corporate Communications
Tel: +852 3151 3765
Email: chimmyleung@melco-resorts.com
FAQ
Which Melco properties are closing in Macau by the end of 2025?
What will happen to employees affected by the Melco MLCO venue closures?
Which Mocha Clubs will continue operations after December 2025?
What will happen to the gaming equipment from the closing Melco venues?
Why is Melco MLCO closing some of its Macau venues?
