Gaming operations at Macau casinos resumed normal service at 4am on Monday morning as Typhoon Mangkhut, which lashed southern China across the weekend, finally began moving away.
Operations at all Macau casinos were suspended for the first time in the SAR’s history on Saturday night after authorities issued a Signal 8 typhoon warning. The Macau government issued a press release shortly after 11pm on Saturday stating that gaming floors in all 42 casinos had been shut down on the order of Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On, with the city’s six concessionaires having agreed to the historic move.
Described as a “super typhoon” and stronger than Typhoon Hato, which killed 10 people and caused an estimated MOP$11.5 billion worth of damage when it struck Macau in August 2017, Mangkhut saw authorities hoist a Signal 10 typhoon warning on Sunday – the highest signal possible. It is just the second time in 19 years that a Signal 10 has been hoisted in Macau, the first being Typhoon Hato.
In a statement, the government said that “the suspension of gaming operations is for the safety of casino employees, visitors to the city and residents. The Civil Protection Operations Centre will – after reviewing community conditions once Typhoon Mangkhut has passed – make a recommendation as to when gaming operations might resume.”
It added that casinos were urged to provide all necessary assistance to employees and visitors as stated in an emergency plan sent to all concessionaires by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau last week.
Macau suffered extensive flooding on Sunday with large areas of the city evacuated and all business shut down.
