Neptune, David Group junkets deny rumors of VIP room closures, staff layoffs

A couple of high-profile Macau casino junket operators have denied media reports of massive layoffs and room closures.

Earlier this week, the Neptune Group was said to be considering sacking up to 300 staff members due to decreased activity at its Macau VIP gaming rooms. Similar reports dogged the David Group junket, which was said to be closing two of its remaining four VIP rooms in Macau and laying off 100 staff in the process.

On Thursday, an outfit calling itself the Neptune Guangdong Group took out an ad in the Macao Daily News, clarifying that it had around 800 staffers in Macau, and due to this “large number of employees and the high turnover rate,” the company routinely sees between “100 and 200 employees who resign or are let go each year for different reasons.” The ad said this year’s employee turnover rate was “similar to the level of the past few years … the relevant media reports are unfounded.”

Similarly outraged, the David Group contacted Macau Business Daily to clarify that it had “no such plans” to close any more VIP rooms in Macau. David Group spokesman Frank Ng said the company wanted to nip these rumors in the bud before they spread “continuously and endlessly.”