Gambler footfall drops 90%

After casinos in Macau got the green light to reopen on Thursday following a two-week coronavirus shutdown period, visitor numbers have been very low. 

number of people gambling on the casino floors was 90% lower than usual

Around 1,800, or a third, of the casino tables on the island were open on the day. According to one report, the number of people gambling on the casino floors was 90% lower than usual.

Alidad Tash, executive director at gaming services firm 2NT8, visited the Venetian and the Galaxy, the biggest casinos on the island. He saw only a couple of dozen people at the almost 50 tables that were open at that time. The hotels on Thursday were effectively empty, with hardly any customers dining in restaurants.

Casino floor measures

Macau has seen ten confirmed cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infection to date, with no deaths reported. This led the island’s Executive Director to shut down casinos for 15 days to help contain the virus. The effort appears to have been successful, with no new cases recorded in Macau since the closure.

Widespread disinfection and cleaning operations are ongoing around the island’s luxurious casino locations. Macau’s government is also implementing a number of preventative measures within the casino establishments.

gaming tables have to be spread further apart to curb contagion

The authorities have called on casinos to determine the temperature levels of customers as they enter the premises, with fever being one of the major symptoms of COVID-19. Gaming tables have to be spread further apart to curb contagion, while all patrons are required to sign a health declaration upon entry.?

Standing bets are not currently allowed, and patrons are instructed not to gather together on the casino floors. Many electronic gaming machines have been deactivated in an attempt to keep bettors a safe distance away from one another. 

Concerns for Macau’s economy

Currently, visitors from mainland China without a visa for Macau cannot enter the island. Significant border restrictions and the cancellation of transport options are now in place since the epidemic first struck.

A large portion of total traffic to Macau casinos comes from mainland China, where gambling is illegal. With Macau’s economy being heavily reliant on revenue from the gambling sector, these are worrying times for the island. The casino operators have already written off the first quarter of the year.