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

1.17 Stanley Ho Hung-sun

Macau — Historical Figure

Stanley Ho (1921-2020) was the Hong Kong-born businessman who held a government-granted monopoly over Macau’s casino industry for 40 years through his company Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau (STDM). Ho secured the exclusive gaming concession in 1962 and transformed Macau from a modest gambling outpost into the world’s largest gaming revenue center. After the 2002 gaming liberalization ended the monopoly, he founded SJM Holdings. His 17 children from four wives became central figures in Macau’s gaming industry, including Pansy Ho (MGM China), Lawrence Ho (Melco), and Daisy Ho (SJM).

In practice

Stanley Ho was known as “The King of Gambling” and was one of Asia’s richest individuals. His empire encompassed not just casinos but also ferries, hotels, real estate, and aviation, giving him de facto control over how visitors accessed Macau.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.