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Casinos in Macau, China set to reopen as COVID-19 restrictions roll back

Virus Outbreak Macao
Posted at 11:39 AM, Jul 23, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-23 14:39:32-04

(KTNV) — Macau will reopen its casinos on Saturday, as authorities seek to unwind some stringent measures which locked down the world’s biggest gambling hub for 12 days to curb its worst outbreak of COVID-19.

Macau shut all its casinos for the first time in more than two years on July 11.

In Las Vegas, the Macau closure caused the Las Vegas Sands stock to drop by $2. In addition to Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts hold three of the six gaming licenses in Macau.

While casinos will formally reopen, executives and analysts said there will probably be little business for several weeks, since many coronavirus rules are set to remain in place.

According to a report by Reuters, the government has wanted to keep casinos open to protect jobs and livelihoods, as most of the population in the China-ruled territory are employed directly or indirectly by the gaming resorts.