Published on: February 5, 2026, 04:44h.
Updated on: February 5, 2026, 04:44h.
- Grand Emperor Hotel Cashes Out on Gold Walkway as Macau’s Casino Era Declines
- Famous Gold Attraction Removed Amid Satellite Casino Shutdowns
- Hotel Shifts Focus to Non-Gaming Ventures as Regulations Tighten
The Grand Emperor Hotel in Macau is liquidating its gold assets to support a future beyond gaming. The operator, Emperor Entertainment Hotel (EEH), announced in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that it has sold 174 pounds of solid gold bricks that formed its famous golden walkway, a unique draw for tourists in Macau.
The timing was advantageous, as gold prices peaked, reaching between US$2,700 and US$2,800 per ounce around January 29, only to dip shortly thereafter. EEH successfully sold the gold at its peak, generating US$12.77 million with the transaction going to Heraeus Metals Hong Kong, a noted refiner.
Farewell to the Golden Path
The gold walkway was installed at the Grand Emperor’s main entrance upon the casino’s launch in 2006, allowing guests to literally walk on gold—albeit protected by thick, reinforced glass panels. This feature once represented luxury during Macau’s rise to the leading global gaming market.
The walkway served as a marketing gimmick, symbolizing wealth, good fortune, and extravagance. In Chinese culture, walking over gold bears symbolic significance, representing prosperity underfoot.
Local residents noticed the walkway’s abrupt removal late last month. Initially, EEH cited renovation, but the reality is that maintaining a gold walkway no longer aligns with the hotel’s vision since it has ceased its gaming operations.
The Grand Emperor had been a satellite casino operating under SJM’s license, and was one of the ten such locations required to shut down by December 31, 2025.
Satellite Casinos Disappearing
Macau’s satellite casinos were typically smaller and primarily focused on gaming, differing from the expansive integrated resorts owned by the six major concessionaires that emerged after the gaming market’s liberalization in 2002. Most of them operated as sub-licensees of the main six, with the majority under SJM.
With the initial 20-year licensing term expiring in 2022, there arose an opportunity for Macau to tighten regulations, closing regulatory loopholes to ensure that only licensed entities were directly in charge of casino operations.
Now Considered ‘Irrelevant’
This situation places the Grand Emperor in a new chapter as a hotel without a casino. In its stock exchange filing, EEH stated that the gold bricks had become “irrelevant to the hotel’s future theme.”
“With the ending of its gaming operations, the group is exploring opportunities for other entertainment and recreational facilities to enhance its hospitality offerings and diversify revenue streams,” the company elaborated.