Wynn Macau Poker Room Goes Dark: What It Means for the Peninsula

Kai Cocklin is a poker journalist and live reporting manager who has worked with PokerNews at major festivals including the World Series of Poker and the European Poker Tour. He has managed multiple live reporting teams at the World Series of Poker and trained individual reporters to develop their skills. He now oversees Somuchpoker’s editorial and live coverage, ensuring consistent quality and engaging content across the Asian poker scene.

Updated: 2026.02.19

The Macau poker landscape just took another hit. The Texas Hold’em area at Wynn Macau (on the peninsula) has been dark since late January 2026. This is the latest major change for poker in Macau, a market that is quickly moving away from the old city center.

If you’ve walked through the Wynn recently, you’ll notice the tables are gone. While the casino hasn’t made a big announcement, it follows a clear trend: the best Macau poker rooms are now almost exclusively found on the Cotai Strip.

Where to Find Poker in Macau Now

Even with Wynn Macau closing its doors to players, you can still find active cash games. If you are looking for the most reliable Macau poker rooms, you really only have two main options left:

The Venetian Macau : This is currently the main hub for anyone looking for poker in Macau. It has the most tables and the most consistent action.

MGM Cotai : This room is still running steady games, mostly attracting mid-to-high stakes players.

The reality is that these massive Cotai resorts have the floor space to keep poker in Macau alive. Back on the peninsula, space is limited, and casinos would rather use that room for games like Baccarat that make money faster.

Why the Poker Scene is Shrinking

The potential closure at Wynn follows similar moves at MGM Macau and Grand Lisboa Palace over the last year. It’s a sign that casinos are “cleaning house.”

In the world of gambling, Texas Hold’em is often seen as more of a marketing tool than a cash cow. The “rake” (the fee the house takes) doesn’t bring in nearly as much as other games. Since the government limits how many total tables a casino can have, many operators are swapping out their poker tables for higher-earning games.

The Paradox: Macau Poker is Actually Making Record Money

Here is the weird part: even though the number of poker rooms in the city is shrinking, the game is actually making more money than ever.

Official data shows that poker in Macau brought in about MOP 975 million (USD 121 million) in 2025. That’s a 10% jump from the year before and a record high. People clearly want to play; there just aren’t many places left to sit down.

What’s Next for Poker in Macau?

The future of the game is definitely in Cotai. As the peninsula rooms go dark, the remaining Macau poker rooms will likely get even busier.

Whether we see more closures or a bit of a comeback depends on how the casinos value the “cool factor” of poker. For now, if you’re looking for a seat, skip the peninsula and head straight across the bridge to Cotai.

All photos courtesy of Wynn Macau