Macau casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd has launched a Texas Hold’em poker zone at its Grand Lisboa Palace property on the Cotai strip. The new poker area has been operational since August 15, with six gaming tables and a lounge.
Poker Zone Open to Both Carded Players and General Visitors
The newly-opened poker zone is located on the mass gaming floor of the casino resort, close to the south entrance and also near the Dragon Pavilion and the Phoenix Pavilion premium gaming areas. Carded players and general visitors alike may access the area.
Unlike other gaming segments, poker accounts for just a small percentage of Macau’s overall gross gaming revenue (GGR), but operators have been offering the game mainly because of its “spillover” effect, according to analysts. Poker revenue for Q2 of 2023 stood at MOP 151 million (US$18.7 million), an increase of 67.8% from the previous quarter.
Most Macau Gaming Operators Now Running Poker Zones
SJM Holdings is the latest operator to launch a gaming zone dedicated to poker. Other operators, such as Wynn Macau Ltd, MGM China Holdings Ltd, and Sands China Ltd have started operating their own poker zones after the pandemic. MGM China in particular began spreading poker games at its MGM Cotai and MGM Macau venues in June this year.
