The Place of Stanley Ho (1921–2020) in Macau Casino Gaming History

This article provides an overview of the role and legacy of Stanley Ho 何鴻燊 (1921–2020) in the history of casino games of chance in Macau. The focus is on the development of the Macau casino gaming industry and the important role he played. Stanley Ho arrived in Macau in 1941. Part I of this article mentions Stanley Ho’s various business activities during the war and in the 1950s, highlighting the reasons why he, together with other partners, decided to bid for the casino gaming monopoly in the 1961 public tender, which they won. Part II provides an overview of the STDM monopoly casino concession, which started on January 1, 1962, and lasted 40 years and 3 months until it ended, following major legal reforms and a public tender for three concessions, on March 31, 2002. This part emphasizes how the basic or fundamental features of the modern industry were laid out during this period. Part III discusses the loss of importance of SJM (STDM’s continuation as a concessionaire company from 2002 to today) in the face of intense competition since the end of the monopoly enacted in 2001. The final remarks affirm Stanley Ho’s key role and importance—adding that, in its early years and during the major turn to Baccarat, the driving force of gaming within STDM was Yip Hon (1904–1997), the real gaming expert in STDM, as recognized by Stanley Ho himself.