After a four-day closure due to an increase in Covid-19 instances in Macau, Casino Oceanus, a self-promoted venue of casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd, reopened on Saturday. According to GGRAsia, the establishment was forced to close last week when it was revealed that one of the guests at Casino Oceanus had tested positive for Covid-19. The short closure was used by the venue to clean the facilities, and patrons were routed to another adjacent casino, Casino Jai Alai, which is also owned by SJM Holdings.
Casino Oceanus reopened following “thorough cleaning and disinfection, as well as a Macau Health Bureau examination,” according to SJM Holdings. The casino “strictly complies to the Macau SAR Government’s pandemic prevention and control procedures to guarantee a safe and hygienic workplace, preserving the health and safety of staff, guests, and the whole Macau community,” according to the operator.
The restart of operations in the casino might be a step forward for Macau’s recovery, since the city’s earnings dropped in early October, just as the Golden Week vacation began.
Macau’s GGR hit MOP1.25 billion ($156 million) from October 1 to 10, according to JP Morgan Securities, which is just 10% of pre-pandemic Golden Week figures. New instances of Covid-19 were identified in the city, and travel to and from Macau was subjected to tight controls and quarantines, resulting in a 94% reduction in average daily visits.
Despite the low number of tourists, those who did come to Macau for the vacation spent an average of $13,000 per person, which is “beyond the typical average expenditure for premium mass players,” according to the experts.
