Galaxy, Wynn announce 2% salary update; others likely to follow

[Photo: Renato Marques]

Gaming concessionaires Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) and Wynn Macau have announced a 2026 salary update for all eligible team members at the senior manager grade and below.

The increase for GEG employees, generally amounting to 2%, will take effect on April 1. According to GEG, the salary update will benefit around 98% of its team members.

Team members with a monthly base salary and guaranteed tips (if applicable) of MOP16,000 or below will receive an increment of MOP500, while those with a monthly base salary and guaranteed tips above MOP16,000 will receive a 2% salary increase.

Meanwhile, Wynn Macau’s salary increase will be effective March 1, covering 98% of the current 11,803 workforce.

Linda Chen, president, vice chairman, and executive director of Wynn Macau, said, “The company’s success relies on the tireless efforts and dedication of every team member. We hope to share the fruits of our collective achievements through this salary increase.”

Eligible employees earning a monthly salary of MOP16,000 or below will also receive a raise of MOP500, representing a 3.1% to 4.5% increase, while those earning above MOP16,000 will see an average salary increase of 2%.

Last year, gaming operators gave an increase of MOP600 to employees earning a monthly salary of less than MOP16,000.

GEG and Wynn’s announcement comes a day after Sands China announced a similar increase, with Sands’ increase taking effect March 1.

As is usually the case, it is almost certain that the other four concessionaires will follow suit and announce similar salary updates in the coming days.

Unlike in the past, gaming concessionaires have been updating their employees’ wages annually, regardless of the government’s decision on whether to increase civil servants’ salaries.

2026 will be the second consecutive year that the government will not proceed with salary updates in the public sector, while gaming operators increased employee wages by at least 2.5% in 2025 and are preparing to add a further 2% this year.

The government’s methods for updating civil servants have been criticized by many in civil society, particularly lawmakers, who argue that reducing the process to a purely inflation-rate analysis can lead to unfair treatment.

Lawmakers such as José Pereira Coutinho, Ella Lei, Leong Sun Iok, and others have called for a mechanism that accounts for “real inflation,” that is, the increase felt by the population in terms of essential goods and products, as well as rents, fuel, bank interest rates on mortgages, and other items that compose the majority of the monthly expenses of a regular family.

It is also known that salary updates in most private companies and institutions typically reference both government updates and those from major employers, such as gaming concessionaires, a practice that has a cascading effect across all sectors of society.

The only wage directly negotiated between representatives of employers, employees, and the government is the minimum wage, which was raised in 2026 by MOP1 per hour to MOP35 per hour, equivalent to MOP280 daily, MOP1,680 weekly, or MOP7,280 monthly.

The 2026 raise is MOP208 per month, representing a 2.94% increase.