Macau Casino Heir Mario Ho Becomes Owner of the NBA’s Boston Celtics
Posted on: August 21, 2025, 11:49h.
Last updated on: August 21, 2025, 11:57h.
- Mario Ho is now a co-owner of the NBA’s Boston Celtics
- Ho is the son of the late Stanley Ho
- Ho’s father held a monopoly on casino gambling in Macau
The $6.1 billion sale of the NBA’s Boston Celtics was completed this week. The transfer of the storied franchise to an investment group led by private equity mogul Bill Chisholm included Mario Ho, a 30-year-old whose fortune was inherited from his father, Stanley Ho, the so-called “King of Gambling.”
The NBA unanimously approved the ownership transfer of the Celtics from Wyc Grousbeck to the group led by Chisholm. The $6.1 billion price tag was the richest sale of an NBA team until the Los Angeles Lakers sold a piece of the franchise at a valuation of $10 billion.
Chisholm’s investors in the Celtics include Mario Ho, one of his late father’s 17 children. Stanley Ho died in 2020 at the age of 98.
I’m proud to announce I’ve become a co-owner and board member of the Boston Celtics!” Ho announced on social media today. “Thank you, Bill, for letting me join the consortium and this record-breaking deal.”
Ho went on to say that he’s been a “lifelong Celtics fan” and will give his “everything to the organization.”
“Tears of joy cloud my eyes as I write this,” Ho continued. “This is undoubtedly one of the happiest moments of my life.”
Ho Fortune
It’s unclear how much Ho invested in the $6.1 billion transaction. Chisholm, however, told the league he controlled a majority (at least 51%) in having the deal approved.
Ho’s family’s net worth is estimated to be around $17 billion, though his exact wealth isn’t known.
Along with the Celtics, Ho has used his inheritance, generated by his father holding a monopoly on casino gambling in Macau for decades until the turn of the century, when the enclave was returned by Portugal to China, for ventures in esports and hospitality.
Ho is the controlling stakeholder of Beijing Huanju Commercial Management, a company that produces immersive entertainment at casino resorts. He’s also the founder and owner of NIP Group, which seeks to make competitive video gaming more mainstream in the United States.
Ho’s siblings include Lawrence Ho, the founder, chair, and CEO of Melco Resorts, one of the six casino firms in Macau. Mario Ho is also the younger brother of Pansy Ho, a major shareholder in MGM Resorts’ operations in China.
Daisy Ho, another sibling, retains control of Stanley’s gaming empire and business conglomerate — SJM Holdings and Shun Tak Holdings.
Youngest NBA Owner
Mario Ho owning at least a piece of the Boston Celtics brings him the accolade of being the youngest co-owner in NBA history. Before Ho, the youngest person to ever own an NBA team was Robert Pera, who purchased the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012 at the age of 34.
Pera fully bought his NBA franchise through a deal worth $377 million. Pera is the founder and CEO of Ubiquiti Inc., a global communications technology firm that he took public in 2011.
As of 2025, Pera’s net worth is estimated at nearly $20 billion.
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