Macau Asks Casinos to Suspend Operations to Curb Coronavirus Spread

The decision to suspend casino operations from Feb. 5 is the latest blow to the gambling mecca, which is struggling to recover from the worst annual revenue decline since 2015. It would be the longest-ever halt and only the second such instance, after a typhoon in 2018 forced a 33-hour shutdown. So far, Macau has confirmed at least 10 cases of the virus that originated from Wuhan city in central China.

The two-week shutdown could result in gross gaming revenue in the first quarter to decline by 50% from year ago, according to a Feb. 4 note by Sanford C Bernstein. If casinos were to remain closed for the rest of the quarter, gaming revenue would show a year-on-year decline of over 70%.

Macau will discuss suspension measures with the casino sector Tuesday afternoon, Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng said at a briefing. He added that the city would be able to afford the economic cost.

‘Extreme Measure’

“This is indeed an extreme measure. It is unlikely for casino operators to pass all this burden to staff, so they may bear all the fixed costs and expenses,” said Angela Han Lee, equity analyst with China Renaissance Securities HK. “Near-term profit might fall into the negative territory.”

The move will be a major setback for the gambling enclave that reported the fourth straight month of revenue fall as China imposed travel curbs. It’s coming after a dismal year weighed down by the trade war, Hong Kong protests and slowing Chinese economy. The SARS-like virus has killed more than 425 people and infected over 20,000 in China, forcing companies to shut locations or ask local staff to work from home.

The closing of casinos comes as the entire region has been nearly shut off to travel, depriving the gambling center access to its biggest customers. Nearby Hong Kong has restricted transportation from the mainland, while Beijing has stopped issuing visas for individual travel to both Hong Kong and Macau. That cut off tourists and wealth gamblers from the mainland for Macau that derives 80% of its annual revenue from gambling.

The Bloomberg Intelligence index of Macau operators fell as much as 3.7% Tuesday on the news before paring losses. Every stock in the gauge declined, with MGM China Holdings Ltd. and Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. being the worst performers.

None of the six casino operators immediately responded to requests for comment on the latest government announcement. All of them have promised not to force unpaid leave on their employees, according to a statement from the Macau government.