Melco-owned Macau casino resort whose early VIP commissions forced a city-wide regulatory cap in 2008
Visit Altira Macau →Pros
- Owned by Melco Resorts & Entertainment, a major, internationally listed Macau gaming operator
- Award-winning luxury resort (Forbes five-star, Asia Pacific Hotel Awards)
- Long operating history since 2007 with a clear, transparent ownership record
Cons
- Its own early VIP-commission practices were extreme enough to force a Macau-wide regulatory cap in 2008
- Now much quieter following the deliberate relocation of VIP/junket business to sister Melco properties
- No online offering at all - Macau bans online gambling for residents
Our verdict
Altira Macau is a genuine, long-established Melco Resorts property with real history worth knowing beyond its five-star awards. In its first year after opening as Crown Macau in 2007, its VIP commissions were so far above market rate that it briefly became the busiest casino in the world by turnover - and that same excess forced Macau's government to impose a city-wide cap on VIP commissions at 1.25% in July 2008. That is not an allegation; it is a documented regulatory response directly triggered by this casino's own practices. The more recent chapter is a deliberate business decision, not a scandal: Melco has stated openly that it relocated Altira's VIP and junket operations to its nearby Studio City Macau and City of Dreams Macau properties, repositioning Altira toward the premium-mass market. Independent visitor commentary describes the casino floor as noticeably quieter than during its VIP-driven peak - a real change in atmosphere, worth setting expectations around if you are visiting for a bustling casino floor rather than a luxury resort stay. There is no online offering to weigh here - Altira is land-based only, and Macau bans online gambling for its own residents entirely.
How we rated it
Casino resort (36%)8
An award-winning luxury resort (best five-star hotel, Asia Pacific Hotel Awards; Forbes Travel Guide five-star ratings 2011/2012), part of the major Melco Resorts group with City of Dreams and Studio City nearby.
Trust & licensing (27%)7
Genuinely owned by Melco Resorts & Entertainment, a major, internationally listed Macau gaming operator. Notable regulatory history: Altira's outsized VIP commissions in its first year of operation (busiest casino in the world by turnover) directly triggered Macau's July 2008 city-wide cap on VIP commissions at 1.25% - a real, checkable case of a single casino's practices forcing sector-wide regulation, not a violation but a market-distorting practice the regulator had to correct.
Guest experience & positioning (18%)6.5
Melco has openly stated it relocated Altira's VIP and junket business to its Studio City and City of Dreams properties nearby, repositioning Altira as a premium-mass facility - independent commentary describes the casino as much quieter than in its VIP heyday, a real shift in what kind of visit to expect rather than a decline in quality.
Bonuses & value (18%)5
No online welcome bonus exists, since Altira is a land-based-only resort and Macau bans online gambling for its residents entirely - a structural fact of the market, not a service gap.
Welcome bonus
Quick facts
| Owner | Melco Resorts & Entertainment (majority: Melco International Development, Chairman/CEO Lawrence Ho) |
| Opened | May 2007 as Crown Macau ($1.45bn); renamed Altira Macau April 2009 |
| 2008 regulatory episode | Altira's outsized VIP commissions made it the world's busiest casino by turnover within a year; Macau's government responded with a city-wide 1.25% VIP commission cap in July 2008 |
| Recent repositioning | Melco relocated Altira's VIP/junket operations to Studio City Macau and City of Dreams Macau, repositioning Altira as premium-mass |
| Awards | Best five-star hotel (Asia Pacific Hotel Awards); Forbes Travel Guide five-star, 2011 and 2012 |
| Online bonuses | None - land-based only; Macau bans online gambling for residents |
Where Altira Macau is licensed
Altira Macau appears on the official register in 1 country — 0 for sports betting and 1 for casino. We only feature it in markets where it holds a licence to accept you.
Asia (1)
About Altira Macau
Altira Macau is a land-based casino resort owned by Melco Resorts & Entertainment, majority-controlled by Melco International Development under Chairman/CEO Lawrence Ho. It opened in May 2007 as Crown Macau, a $1.45 billion build originally a joint venture between Melco International and Australia's Crown Limited, and was renamed Altira Macau in 2009; Melco took full control in 2017 for $1.16 billion. Altira has a genuinely notable regulatory history: within its first year, outsized VIP commissions made it the busiest casino in the world by rolling turnover, a practice so far above market rate that Macau's government responded with a city-wide cap on VIP commissions at 1.25% in July 2008 - a direct regulatory consequence of this casino's own conduct. More recently, Melco has openly stated it relocated Altira's VIP and junket business to its nearby Studio City Macau and City of Dreams Macau properties, repositioning Altira as a premium-mass facility; independent commentary describes it as quieter than during its VIP-driven peak. As a land-based-only resort, no online welcome bonus exists, and Macau bans online gambling for its residents outright.
