Macau's Casino Operation Continues Despite The Latest Outbreak

[BitcoinPanther]

They will not decide to open the casinos they managed without thinking of the risk, advantages, and disadvantages, it's a big disaster if the spike doubles because of the casinos, they can not let that happen, and their economy will crash, so I think they will employ the strictest protocol for casino players and will ensure that the operation of their casinos will not add to the surge of Covid whilew continue to keep the economy moving.

I agree, for sure the government of Macau had already weighed and planned all the needed precautions in order to prevent the spread of the disease.  They have lots of capable people to do this.  I am sure they even consult medical specialists on the regulations they should implement during operation hours.  As a sign, they had another vicinity shut down so that people who won't play will not flock in to the surrounding venue of the casino

[traderethereum]

Its' time for Macau to consider diversifying its source of revenues, not only casinos, nobody thought that we will have another pandemic and every county will be locked up and Macau is one of the country that seriously suffer from the lock down, and now there is a spike again, Macau has n choice but to keep the economy moving at the expense of a possible spike of the virus, the next thing is we will have news that Macau has another wave of infection.

If Macau has other sources of income apart from gambling and the business can also develop well like the gambling business, they will certainly open up and provide opportunities for those businesses to run again and contribute in terms of taxes.
We don't know what it's like in Macau and only see what happens on the news.
But hopefully, this doesn't last long and the surge that occurs can be suppressed so that businesses in Macau can run again.
But if Macau can only earn income from the gambling business, I think they will go ahead and allow gambling in Macau.

[dunfida]

^

As the practice of fighting the spread of the coronavirus has shown, restricting visits to public places is one of the most powerful tools and the Macao government is well aware of this. But instead of taking care of the health of their population, they care about filling the budget. In my opinion, this is a very short-sighted decision because it contributes to the further spread of the epidemic.

Maybe they think the scenario is better now than today if their people caught COVID it will be mild since the majority are already vaccinated, they treated COVID like flu, the worse thing that can happen is if their hospitals cannot keep up but as long as there are no serious cases or death they can still manage, we'll see in the coming weeks or months if they did the right thing of prioritizing revenues that the health of their people.

I dont think that we are on the better side but at least we are seeing some huge decline in terms of active cases
but as i do check out with the current global cases numbers then i do found this.

Cases - newly reported in last 7 days
3,902,021

Deaths - newly reported in last 7 days
8,156

Source: https://covid19.who.int/table

Numbers might be less compared into that peak where everything is freaking out
but its not something that should really be that confident on making things to normal
when its still existing.

[Finestream]

We all know that Macau is the world's biggest gambling capital the world and its government is relying 80% on its revenues from casino operations as the majority of its citizen are employed directly or not directly but now it is facing a dilemma there is a rapid increase of the outbreak of the disease and they have no choice but to close most shops, banks schools, and government offices but surprisingly their casino operations are still open as they need to cope with the revenues losses and keep the money flowing to keep the government funds stable.
Do you think the government of Macau made the right decision or they are very desperate not to shut down the casino operations
because they need their economy going.

Related story and source here

Macao shuts most businesses, restaurants amid mass COVID-19 testing; casinos stay open
 

This is not surprising as the government is mostly dependent on the income of the casino to sustain its country's economy. They would have shut down the rest of the business but never the casino as it sustain the country's revenue as they can't afford to see such a growing economy suddenly fall out because of this covid outbreak. Well, if that won't harm the health of the gamblers be it foreign or not, i guess the idea is still good. After all, they won't be allowed to stay outside unless they are fully vaccinated.

[Johnyz]

They will not decide to open the casinos they managed without thinking of the risk, advantages, and disadvantages, it's a big disaster if the spike doubles because of the casinos, they can not let that happen, and their economy will crash, so I think they will employ the strictest protocol for casino players and will ensure that the operation of their casinos will not add to the surge of Covid whilew continue to keep the economy moving.

I agree, for sure the government of Macau had already weighed and planned all the needed precautions in order to prevent the spread of the disease.  They have lots of capable people to do this.  I am sure they even consult medical specialists on the regulations they should implement during operation hours.  As a sign, they had another vicinity shut down so that people who won't play will not flock in to the surrounding venue of the casino

They have to let those casinos operate or else they will suffer more, we are on a situation right now where people need to be more healthy and learn how to live with the virus, again there’s still no cure for this and that’s why it remains a pandemic. If the cases continues rise, most probably the government will act right away and maybe, the case is still low for them and they just need to isolate those people and other area just to make sure the virus will not spread again. Macau is casino dependent, they can’t afford to shutdown casinos again.

[alegotardo]

In fact, it is quite contradictory to see that while many establishments are being penalized by restrictions, casinos that are a "non-essential" service to the population continue to operate freely.
But for the government they are "super essential" and the taxes they pay are what pay the healthcare costs so the government can continue to care for its sick population.

Do you think the government of Macau made the right decision or they are very desperate not to shut down the casino operations
because they need their economy going.

If it's right, I believe so, as long as the government is earmarking casino taxes to help merchants who have been forced to close their doors.

[wiss19]

The missing 20 percent of revenue is what they are going to recover in gambling, that seems easy as 20 percent looks so small but the problem is that the customers from the casinos are also going to get lesser since people will have less to money at all since the establishments that they are working have now closed due to the outbreak. Have their government ever think of it?

The lives of the people is much more important and not the revenue because that was only a money and can still be found later on but if the people's lives are lost, it won't ever be replaced again and this can also affect the potential income of the casino.

[chaser15]

The missing 20 percent of revenue is what they are going to recover in gambling, that seems easy as 20 percent looks so small but the problem is that the customers from the casinos are also going to get lesser since people will have less to money at all since the establishments that they are working have now closed due to the outbreak. Have their government ever think of it?

Missing 20%? There's no missing 20%. The gambling industry there is covering up to 80% of their total revenue. 20% is from other industries.

If casino operations will be halted or temporarily suspended, we are not just talking 20% here. The fact that gambling there can cover 80% of the whole revenue, means regardless of family status, income, professions, job, or pandemic status, gambling is so vast there that it's still the top-performing industry despite the possible lockdown or minimal users inside a casino.

Not the first time that Macau experience that. They know what to do now even amid the new waves of spikes there.

[serjent05]

The missing 20 percent of revenue is what they are going to recover in gambling, that seems easy as 20 percent looks so small but the problem is that the customers from the casinos are also going to get lesser since people will have less to money at all since the establishments that they are working have now closed due to the outbreak. Have their government ever think of it?

Missing 20%? There's no missing 20%. The gambling industry there is covering up to 80% of their total revenue. 20% is from other industries.

If casino operations will be halted or temporarily suspended, we are not just talking 20% here. The fact that gambling there can cover 80% of the whole revenue, means regardless of family status, income, professions, job, or pandemic status, gambling is so vast there that it's still the top-performing industry despite the possible lockdown or minimal users inside a casino.

Not the first time that Macau experience that. They know what to do now even amid the new waves of spikes there.

Wikipedia said it was 50% of the country's revenue^[1] unless this data is outdated.  The pandemic has greatly affected the Macau Gambling industry, last year of May their revenue from the gambling industry was down 68%^[2] so definitely, they won't let this thing happen again.  That is why despite the pandemic and the possible spike they are willing to operate to recover last year's losses.  Besides if they shut down the Casino operation, their economy might collapse.  Looking for alternative revenue isn't easy and it won't take effect soon.  
Note: The 80% revenue is stated in this article^[2].   I don't know which of them is correct.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambling_in_Macau
[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/china/macaus-casino-losses-engulf-gambling-hub-no-quick-fix-sight-2022-06-01/

[goinmerry]

In fact, it is quite contradictory to see that while many establishments are being penalized by restrictions, casinos that are a "non-essential" service to the population continue to operate freely.
But for the government they are "super essential" and the taxes they pay are what pay the healthcare costs so the government can continue to care for its sick population.

Macau is called the Las Vegas of Asia. It's now obvious why gambling there is considered essential.

It's like the primary core of businesses there that if you removed those, the region will be a total downfall. It's just right for them to let casinos operate there to make everything balance. Lockdown might minimize the spread but that will take a heavy toll on the revenue as money here is used on their primary spendings much especially, as you mentioned, healthcare-related costs.

Surely Macau authorities can now handle the pandemic now unlike before when every country has no idea yet or any information regarding the virus making it difficult to battle against it and the only solution is by doing a lockdown.

[agustina2]

Wikipedia said it was 50% of the country's revenue^[1] unless this data is outdated.  The pandemic has greatly affected the Macau Gambling industry, last year of May their revenue from the gambling industry was down 68%^[2] so definitely, they won't let this thing happen again.  That is why despite the pandemic and the possible spike they are willing to operate to recover last year's losses.  Besides if they shut down the Casino operation, their economy might collapse.  Looking for alternative revenue isn't easy and it won't take effect soon.  

That was horrible. 68% down because their gambling industry was affected. That was a devastating loss on their part.

With that numbers and figures, it does reasonable for them to let casinos just freely operate even with the latest outbreak. I'm sure they are more informed now on what to do to prevent more additional Covid Cases. They are now more prepared today than before.

Shutting down the casinos will just repeat what happened to them. That's not a good move. They can operate their casinos without adding more fatalities to the latest outbreak. They can handle the situation now unlike before.

[Silberman]

Wikipedia said it was 50% of the country's revenue^[1] unless this data is outdated.  The pandemic has greatly affected the Macau Gambling industry, last year of May their revenue from the gambling industry was down 68%^[2] so definitely, they won't let this thing happen again.  That is why despite the pandemic and the possible spike they are willing to operate to recover last year's losses.  Besides if they shut down the Casino operation, their economy might collapse.  Looking for alternative revenue isn't easy and it won't take effect soon.  

That was horrible. 68% down because their gambling industry was affected. That was a devastating loss on their part.

With that numbers and figures, it does reasonable for them to let casinos just freely operate even with the latest outbreak. I'm sure they are more informed now on what to do to prevent more additional Covid Cases. They are now more prepared today than before.

Shutting down the casinos will just repeat what happened to them. That's not a good move. They can operate their casinos without adding more fatalities to the latest outbreak. They can handle the situation now unlike before.

True, however it should be also a priority to find another way to produce income, as being so dependent on any single industry is bound to cause problems like what they are seeing over and over again, for example there were countries that were incredibly dependent on the tourism of people foreign to their county and I am sure that such an industry has not recovered either, as with the economic crisis we are going through many people do not have enough money to pay for their basic necessities let alone a vacation.

[Boristhecat]

Missing 20%? There's no missing 20%. The gambling industry there is covering up to 80% of their total revenue. 20% is from other industries.

If casino operations will be halted or temporarily suspended, we are not just talking 20% here. The fact that gambling there can cover 80% of the whole revenue, means regardless of family status, income, professions, job, or pandemic status, gambling is so vast there that it's still the top-performing industry despite the possible lockdown or minimal users inside a casino.

Not the first time that Macau experience that. They know what to do now even amid the new waves of spikes there.

As I understand it, the main problem arises from the overly harsh reaction of the authorities to isolated cases of covid (even if it is just a positive test). In my opinion, this is more a political problem than a practical one, since most of the world is already used to covid and it does not cause as much harm as before. Therefore, we can say that if the authorities go for such severe restrictions, then they foresee possible economic problems and most likely have a plan to mitigate them.

[eaLiTy]

~
Do you think the government of Macau made the right decision or they are very desperate not to shut down the casino operations
because they need their economy going.

The selective enforcement is going on for a while and people will start protesting if the government starts these selective enforcement of things. In the past the same happened in the US and the business owners started to protest and i am expecting all the business owners who were forced to shut their business in the name of pandemic will be protesting for selective enforcement.

[KTChampions]

The selective enforcement is going on for a while and people will start protesting if the government starts these selective enforcement of things. In the past the same happened in the US and the business owners started to protest and i am expecting all the business owners who were forced to shut their business in the name of pandemic will be protesting for selective enforcement.

I have heard that total lockdowns in China are being used by the government to suppress citizen protest activity so it is hard to expect the government to actually allow the population to protest against their policies. As you know, China is a totalitarian country, so they will have no problem in suppressing the protests by force. Business interests are important to the government, but compared to political interests, they are not taken into account at all.

[Viscore]

We all know that Macau is the world's biggest gambling capital the world and its government is relying 80% on its revenues from casino operations as the majority of its citizen are employed directly or not directly but now it is facing a dilemma there is a rapid increase of the outbreak of the disease and they have no choice but to close most shops, banks schools, and government offices but surprisingly their casino operations are still open as they need to cope with the revenues losses and keep the money flowing to keep the government funds stable.
Do you think the government of Macau made the right decision or they are very desperate not to shut down the casino operations
because they need their economy going.

Related story and source here

Macao shuts most businesses, restaurants amid mass COVID-19 testing; casinos stay open
 

I don't see anything wrong about it not closing the casinos because its simply the source of the biggest funds that the country gets. It's even a wise idea indeed. Although small business operators would find it more unfair for them, but a lot of lives have been relying from these casinos' funds so there's no way it can be closed. However, the government should also secure the health safety of these employees working in the casinos as they are exposed to a lot of customers who might bring the disease into them.

[chaser15]

True, however it should be also a priority to find another way to produce income, as being so dependent on any single industry is bound to cause problems like what they are seeing over and over again, for example there were countries that were incredibly dependent on the tourism of people foreign to their county and I am sure that such an industry has not recovered either, as with the economic crisis we are going through many people do not have enough money to pay for their basic necessities let alone a vacation.

Do you really think by several decades or centuries Macau didn't work in other industries? What this place has to offer? There are even not many resources here compare to the usual country. That's the reason they focused on gambling as that's the only thing they can perform well. Why find other priorities if they already know how to deal with these pandemic problems where in the first place, it's not the first time they do this lockdown.

What they just need to do is to continually follow and implement the strict policy and protocol regarding health. They can also enhance and improve their online gambling side as there are only limited numbers allowed inside the usual physical casino making for more people to stay at home.

[KennyR]

Throughout the World there is more restriction over the operation of different businesses. What we see with Macau is different, because the country itself is dependent on the gambling industry. Macau should plan some alternate way to keep the country's economy stable, when there is no big profit from the gambling industry. Slowly more restrictions are getting effective all around the globe as the next wave of covid-19 is expected soon. Already it have affected China.

[robelneo]

Throughout the World there is more restriction over the operation of different businesses. What we see with Macau is different, because the country itself is dependent on the gambling industry. Macau should plan some alternate way to keep the country's economy stable, when there is no big profit from the gambling industry. Slowly more restrictions are getting effective all around the globe as the next wave of covid-19 is expected soon. Already it have affected China.

They really should start planning the next revenue-generating resources, casinos in times of pandemic are not good, they need to diversify, they can still rely on their tourist revenue but they need to find other ways, to take away the casinos in Macau and their's a possibility of a collapse of their economy, this is something that has been overlooked by a country who only relies upon one revenue for their economy.

[harizen]

Macau should plan some alternate way to keep the country's economy stable, when there is no big profit from the gambling industry.

There's no country I believed that can keep its economy stable when dealing with a big Covid outbreak.

Or did I miss one that still performs well amid a massive lockdown?

The government here surely, of course, has some alternatives and other options but it's just that, they are really a gambling country and they surely have lots of money on reserves even for let's say they will stop their gambling operations there for at least a year. They can surely cover what they lose.