Macau casino to close for two weeks

Macau authorities announced the closure of all casinos in the region for two weeks due to the risk of the spread of coronavirus. This was reported on a local TV channel. The decision was made by the head of the region, He Yichen.

The authorities first announced the possible closure of gambling establishments in mid-January. The decision has now been made and Macau’s casinos will cease operations on February 12. Explaining the reasons for the decision, officials explained that the province recorded the ninth case of coronavirus and one of its carriers was a casino employee. In addition, the flow of guests to gambling establishments in Macao has already dramatically decreased in January 2020 because of the fear of players to get infected in crowded places.

The head of the region, He Yicheng, held a meeting with representatives of the gambling industry. He agreed with them that the companies’ employees would continue to receive their salaries despite the forced closure of the establishments.

There are 41 casinos officially operating in the Macao Special Administrative Region of China. They have more than six thousand gambling tables and 17 thousand slot machines. In the history of the gambling zone, casinos in Macau have closed their doors only once – in September 2018 due to Typhoon Mangkhut. According to Bloomberg, then, as a result of the suspension of work for 33 hours, entrepreneurs lost more than $186 million.