Yagi has picked up steam since making landfall in the Philippines earlier this week, killing 13 people there. The storm now packs sustained winds of 209 kmph near its eye, the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane.
Yagi is the second most powerful cyclone of 2024 after Hurricane Beryl. In June and July, that Category 5 storm battered the Caribbean, South Central US and Mexico, and killed 70 people.
Casinos open, but playing it safe
The websites of casino resorts in Macau all include pop-up warnings about Yagi and potential changes in operations.
Sands China resorts including the Venetian, Parisian and Londoner remain open, though some restaurants, bars and other attractions are temporarily closed.
Studio City advised that part of its “hotel services and facilities will be affected and apologized “for any inconvenience.” Galaxy Macau advised patrons that restaurants will resume operation two hours after the Typhoon 8 signal is lowered.
According to the Macau meteorological bureau, a Signal 8 indicates sustained wind speeds of 63 to 117 kmph with possible gusts exceed 180 kmph.
Expect impact on GGR
Last year, the government closed all casinos for nine hours during super-typhoon Saola, which hit 1 September.
After the storm moved out, JPMorgan analysts warned that GGR for the month “isn’t going to wow anyone, not only due to seasonality (a shoulder season between the summer holidays and October Golden Week), but also due to super Typhoon Saola.”
They were right: September GGR totalled MOP14.93 billion (£1.4bn/€1.7bn/$1.9bn), down more than 13% from August.
Macau’s usual seasonal slump has been exacerbated this year by the crackdown on illegal money exchanges. Super-typhoon Yagi may add to the doldrums ahead of the Golden Week holiday starting 1 October. In good news for the city, many hotels say they’re booked solid for the weekend of 5-6 October.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/casino/macau-braces-for-super-typhoon-yagi/
