Part V: Regional & Cultural · Asia-Pacific Regional Terms

STDM (Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau)

Macau — Historical/CorporateREPORTED

STDM was the company founded by Stanley Ho, Henry Fok, Teddy Yip, and Yip Hon in 1961 that held the exclusive gaming concession for Macau from 1962 to 2002, creating a 40-year monopoly. STDM operated all casino gaming in the Portuguese enclave, and was responsible for building landmark properties including the Hotel Lisboa (1970). The company also invested in infrastructure including ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau that were essential for bringing tourists to the territory. When the monopoly ended in 2002, STDM’s casino operations were transferred to SJM Holdings.

In practice

STDM’s monopoly structure was criticized for suppressing competition, and academic research has described triad involvement in the VIP chip trade of that era; it also delivered consistent revenue growth and funded Macau’s transformation into a gambling-dependent economy.

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