Macau Casinos Kept Tables Running as Storm Tapah Snarled Flights and Ferries

Key Highlights of Macau casinos:

• Casinos stayed open; non-gaming services paused during Tapah threat.
• Flights cancelled; ferries halted; transport resumed after downgrade on Monday.
• The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) empowered to order emergency gaming suspensions.

---

During the most recent brush with Severe Tropical Storm Tapah, Macau’s casinos managed to keep their gaming floors open. However, connections to the broader casino economy—including airports and ferry services—were disrupted, impacting various non-gaming amenities.

In light of the storm’s threats, operators in Cotai and the peninsula temporarily suspended non-gaming services, which included select restaurants and shops, outdoor amenities, and free shuttle buses. These services resumed once the storm was downgraded on Monday, according to reports.

The DICJ, recognizing the storm’s potential threats, confirmed that one Mocha Clubs slot venue in the Inner Harbour, a flood-prone area, closed as a precautionary measure during the storm’s peak.

Storm Weakening

On Monday, Tapah reached landfall approximately 50 miles from Macau, near Taishan, in Guangdong province. The storm featured sustained winds of nearly 110 km/h, prompting tens of thousands of evacuations across the region.

Over the weekend, no fewer than 81 flights were cancelled and 29 flights delayed at Macau International Airport. The number of cancellations reported reached as high as 91, affecting routes to mainland China, Taiwan, and various Southeast and Northeast Asian destinations.

Ferry services, which are crucial for same-day gamblers and mass-market tourists, were severely hit. Services linking Macau with Shenzhen were suspended for much of Sunday and all of Monday. Ferries connecting Macau and Hong Kong paused operations on Sunday evening, returning to service the following afternoon once alerts were lifted.

Tapah Was No Hato

The typhoon season typically occurs from July to September around this region, peaking in August, coinciding with the height of the tourist calendar.

Back in August 2017, Macau endured Typhoon Hato, which proved to be the most devastating storm in fifty years for the area. The authorities were largely unprepared; meteorologists failed to predict its severity, leading to considerable criticism regarding the government’s slow rescue response and lack of contingency measures.

In the aftermath of Hato, government officials amended casino operating rules, empowering the DICJ to order emergency suspensions of gaming during extreme weather events.

Subsequently, when Typhoon Mangkhut came perilously close later that year, officials took no chances and for the first time, Macau’s casinos underwent a mandated 33-hour closure by the government.

In summary, while Macau’s casinos showed resilience in the face of Severe Tropical Storm Tapah, the storm underscored the vulnerabilities in the region’s transport and non-gaming sector. The strategic responses from casino operators and government authorities play a critical role in safeguarding tourism and economic stability during emergencies.