Oceanus

Maven Meter: Oceanus Casino

(Last updated: August 23, 2023)

OCEANUS CASINO INTRODUCTION

Commencing operations in December 2009, Oceanus is an outlier for Macau, given that it’s strictly a casino, with no hotel accommodation anywhere on the premises.

Like many casinos in town, it used to be far better a few years ago when it first opened, with a wider range of games, lower minimums, and more tables and slots.

Oceanus Casino Photo Gallery

OCEANUS CASINO

I used to think that SJM deserved major props for what they were doing at Oceanus. 10 years ago it was a full fledged casino, with game variety as good as anything you’d get at the Grand Lisboa or MGM. And the kicker was it was all low stakes, with most games only $100 or $200.

Fast forward a decade later and while the low limits are still kind of there, the games are not, with Caribbean Stud Poker, Pai Gow, Video Poker and Roulette all discontinued. It doesn’t seem to have hurt business though, as Oceanus remains as busy as ever, with customer traffic trailing only the Sands Macao in this part of town.

As the name suggests Oceanus is based on a marine motif and the walls are decorated with pictures of fish and aquatic scenes along with curious columns of blue circles, meant to signify floating bubbles. The gaming floor is pretty run of the mill except for the rows of thick glowing pillars, with each level a different color: blue on the ground floor, purple on the first and red on the second.

All of the casino’s tables are found on the ground and first floors, with numbers 121 and 85 respectively. Slots consist of around 375 machines with minimums of 5 and 10 cents, while Electronic Gaming consists of Baccarat ($10), Roulette ($5) and Sic Bo ($20).

The second floor used to provide a lot more tables and slots, but it’s completely vacant now, save for one restaurant, one bar, and a small shopping section selling duty free items.

OCEANUS CASINO GAMES

From 2012 to 2016, it seemed that Oceanus would lose one game a year. As such, Pai Gow, Roulette, Video Poker, and Caribbean Stud Poker are no longer available.

Baccarat – Minimum bet of $300. However, most tables are $500 plus.

Commission Free Baccarat – $300 minimums.

Blackjack – Two tables. Minimum bet is $300.

Fan Tan – Minimum bets for Fan, Nim and Kwok are $200, Nga Tan $400 and Sheh Sam Hong $600.

Sic Bo – 7 different bets are available. Pricy $200 Big/Small minimums.

Slot machines – Around 375 slots spread over two floors, with minimums of 5 and 10 cents. Electronic versions of Roulette ($5), Sic Bo ($10) and Baccarat ($10) are also available.

Three Card Baccarat – Minimum bet of $300.

OCEANUS CASINO PROMOTIONS

Oceanus has a rolling program again, which returns the following rates:

I also saw some transportation comps, where a free bus to Ya Ma Tai in Hong Kong required 18 points in 1 day, or 90 from the card. For Wan Chai, it was only 9 points and 45 points respectively.

OCEANUS CASINO DINING

Oceanus’s high end eatery, Gem Kitchen, has bit the dust.

Treasure House – Guangdong food is on offer at Treasure House. The menu isn’t overly large, with most dishes available for $42.

Open 24 hours, Treasure House is located on the first floor.

Jackpot Noodles – Congee and noodles are featured at Jackpot Noodles, with most selections $48 to $78. Some special must be on as well, as I saw a few bowls available for only $18.80. Breakfast, finally, is $32 to $48.

Jackpot Noodles is located on the second floor.

OCEANUS CASINO SPA

Oceanus has a Joint Leisure Centre on the 3rd floor that’s home to a small spa. Only gamers can enter though, as the door pass option for $380 has been discontinued. The magic number is 10 points on the card which allows you to rest in there for 6 hours.

I believe the massage services they used to offer have all been terminated.

Although I’m not 100% sure, I believe the Joint Leisure Centre stays open 24 hours.

OCEANUS CASINO BARS

Oceanus has two bars, only one of which costs money.

Good Luck Corner – No longer functioning as a proper bar, Good Luck Corner is where Oceanus gives out free instant noodles to anyone who wants them. You don’t even have to gamble to get them, just walk right in!!

Good Luck Corner is located on the ground floor.

Kingpin Bar – Appetizers and salad are $35 to $45 while sandwiches run between $35 and $45. There are also fast food set meals for $32.

Alcoholic beverages are reasonably priced, with beer $21 to $27 and most hard stuff $30 to $40. Glasses of wine, finally, are between $50 and $100.

Kingpin Bar is located on the second floor.

OCEANUS CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

Oceanus used to have singing and dancing shows at Good Luck Corner on Fridays and Saturdays from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Like so many things in this world, Covid killed that too.

THE LAST WORD

When it first opened, Oceanus was one of the better casinos in Macau, offering low limits, nice comps and benefits, as well as a player card with easily attainable benefits. Since none of those things remain true today, I don’t see any incentive to gamble there.

I mean, if the Baccarat and Blackjack were $100 apiece then I could definitely get behind it, but why go all the way to the Macau Ferry Terminal to play at $300 tables if you don’t have to?