Macau Finally Drops Covid-19 Mask Mandate for Casino Floors

The world’s largest gambling hub, Macau, has finally taken its most significant step yet in steering its brick-and-mortar casino industry to post-pandemic normalcy. Authorities in the gambling mecca announced that they are dropping COVID-19 mask requirements for most locations except crucial areas like public transportation, hospitals, health centers, and a few other locations.

The said regulatory change took effect on Monday, 28th February, and is a welcome relief to the Special Administrative Region (SAR), whose economy largely depends on gambling. This Far Eastern territory strictly adhered to mainland China’s Zero-Covid policy for the past three years and is now entering a new phase of its post-Covid future. The SAR’s official government statement read in part:

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“The epidemic situation in Macau has continuously remained stable over the last two months. Making reference from the anti-epidemic experience worldwide, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre will adjust its mask-wearing requirements.”

Casinos Have Already Dropped Mask Requirements at their Premises

Following the directive, several Macau gaming concessionaires have already relayed the good news to their staffers and customers. These casinos include Galaxy Entertainment, Sands China, Melco Resorts, MGM China, Wynn Macau, and SJM Resorts. As a result, customers can now walk into casino premises without wearing a mask if they choose to, the same as the floor workforce.

Sands China has also given direction to its employees on the same. Henceforth, masks are only mandated to be worn when riding Sands China’s bus or entering the company’s clinic, in tandem with the directive from the authorities. Wynn Casino has also relayed a similar directive, with the caveat being that any employee displaying COVID-19 symptoms will be required to wear masks.

Wearing masks had become the norm in China’s SAR so much that while the gambling industry stakeholders warmly received the news, there is some reluctance from many people who had already adjusted to mask-wearing. Most employees in the region’s gaming scene prefer to keep masks on just as a precaution against the novel Coronavirus. Speaking on the matter, Stephen Lau Ka Weng, the President of Power of the Macau Gaming Association, said in part:

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“We have received a lot of feedback from staff and members of other organizations that most of them would like to wear masks at work because they are worried about the high density of people in the casinos and the rapid spread of diseases. Currently, gaming staff can choose whether to wear masks at work, and there is no mandatory requirement for staff to remove their masks.”

Neighboring Hong Kong Follows Macau’s Footsteps

Neighboring Hong Kong, which also follows China’s Zero-Covid policy, is set to follow suit. Reports indicate that the mandatory mask order for indoor and outdoor settings will soon be lifted. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said that although mask-wearing will be optional in many settings, citizens will still be mandated to wear them in hospitals, homes for the elderly, and other high-risk places. He stated:

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“According to the data, the epidemic is under control in Hong Kong, and there are no major signs of resurgence, so I believe Hong Kong has established an extensive and comprehensive barrier… The situation of virus mutation has not deteriorated, and the peak season of influenza and respiratory infections in winter is coming to an end, so it is the right time to lift the mask order.”

Like in the neighboring Macau, the move by the Hong Kong authorities will be greeted cordially by Hongkongers. A recent study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) indicated that 60% of Hongkongers support eliminating all the pandemic preventive measures by March.

The survey, which was conducted on 705 people around the CUHK campus, revealed that more than half of the respondents did not relay any concerns that they could get infected by Covid-19 with relaxed measures. Moreover, it’s worth pointing out that the Fragrant Habor has already scrapped most of its preventive Covid-19 measures. For instance, it no longer enforces measures like contact tracing and vaccination proof requirements at most of its gatherings, meaning that the mask mandate was one of the remaining.

Gambling Numbers in Macau Are Looking Up

Macau’s gambling scene looks a lot more promising in the wake of loosening pandemic-inspired restrictions. Current gaming numbers paint an optimistic picture, with Macau reporting a GGR of MOP$11.85 billion (roughly US$1.43 billion) in January 2023.

Mind you, January’s performance is the highest ever attained in nearly three years since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the gambling hub. It also represents a remarkable jump from last year’s figures by a staggering 83% – a stellar haul that rivals Sin City’s January GGR, which stood at US$814.2 million.