SJM Holdings has reached an agreement to buy the Oceanus casino property from its parent organization, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM), to fulfill the requirements for extending its Macau gambling license.
To finalize the transaction, SJM Holdings will issue a total of HK$1.91 billion in convertible bonds, of which HK$1.39 billion will be used to pay for the resort’s gambling area, while the remaining HK$516 million will be used to pay for the non-gambling area.
SJM stated that the deal will “allow the group to meet” the relevant requirements of the new gambling license, which is scheduled to expire on December 31.
Currently, SJM rents the property from STDM, paying HK$80.6 million in rent in 2021, an increase from HK$43 million in 2020. However, as it is anticipated that license holders will transfer any casinos and equipment “free and unburdened” at the end of the license period, the company decided that SJM itself should possess Oceanus so that it could be transferred.
In addition to this factor, SJM also stated that the acquisition “enables SJM Resorts to operate gambling and non-gambling businesses in a cooperative way within Oceanus, complementing each other.”
Prior to the global health crisis, when travel between Macau and Hong Kong was unrestricted, the firm generated substantial revenue from its Sands Macau gambling establishment. This particular casino was among their most profitable ventures between 2017 and 2019.