Casino operators in Macau aren’t very confident where it pertains to a swift return to business despite China loosening travel regulations post the huge COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Macau, known as the Las Vegas of Asia, is the world’s top gambling location and the pandemic, as it has everything else, threw things askew this year. There’s really no telling when they’ll be able to make a full recovery.
Regarding the outbreak itself, Macau only recorded 46 cases and has been coronavirus-free since June. China, on the other hand, was hit pretty badly and is only now looking to free travel up again.
Local operators Galaxy Entertainment Group posted a whopping 2.86 billion Hong Kong dollar loss ($369 million) for the first half of this year, with revenue tanking 73 percent from the HK6.68 billion profit over the same period in 2019.
The company released a financial update for the first half of 2020 on Thursday. “We believe that there is a significant pent-up demand for leisure, tourism and travel from China,” they said. However, Chief Financial Officer Robert Drake admitted it’s very difficult to predict the short-term outlook for the region.
The comments come in the wake of China opting to remove restrictions on leisure trips to Macau by mainland Zhuhai residents as of Wednesday. The remainder of the Guangdong province will be allowed to make leisure trips from August 26 while persons from other provinces will be permitted the same from September 23.
In the meantime, though, anyone keen on enjoying a bit of gambling without having to leave their house can do so via the various casinos available online. And, soon enough, just about everyone will be able to visit VR game houses that give off the look and feel of being in a luxurious casino.
Also available, mostly where new signups are concerned, are free spins and other such bonuses. Gamers could find some of the top online casino and bingo free spin bonuses at Freebets.com, with the platform also offering tips and promotions for those looking to bet on sporting events.
It’s hoped that most physical avenues will be able to accommodate bettors in the next few months but the direction of the pandemic remains largely unpredictable. In spite of that, countries like Ukraine have welcomed gambling as of this month and the European country, in particular, has sanctioned eight gambling sectors, including online casinos and online sports betting.
Nowadays, a computer isn’t even necessary for one to participate in online gambling as mobile casinos have come to the fore in recent times, with most major companies making investments on that front to secure the younger demographic and to simply make gambling options more accessible.
Players can enjoy such games while they’re on the move by simply pulling out a smartphone. Interfaces are just as good or in some cases even better than they look on a computer and, with improved technology allowing for the ease and quickness of depositing and withdrawing funds, there’s hardly any hassle gambling from one’s mobile.
