The Macau casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, also known as DICJ, held talks on Monday with the city’s six casino operators ahead of the expected arrival of Super Typhoon Ragasa, forecast to pass within 100 kilometres (62 miles) of the city.
According to a press release from the regulator, the government confirmed that all casinos would be closed once Signal No. 8 tropical cyclone warning was issued.
Macau’s weather bureau said in the morning on Tuesday (September 23) that it would hoist Signal No. 8 at 5pm that afternoon.
It added there was a “high” probability that Signal No. 9 would be raised at midnight, with a “relatively high” chance of Signal No. 10 being issued in the early hours of Wednesday (September 24).
Macau has five levels of tropical cyclone warning, ranging from Signal No. 1 – the lowest and least intense – through 3, 8 and 9, up to 10, the highest and indicating the most dangerous conditions.
The Macau government had already announced on Monday that it would order the temporary closure of all the city’s casinos as a precautionary measure if Super Typhoon Ragasa – expected to affect the city most significantly on Tuesday and Wednesday – led to the hoisting of Signal No. 8 or above.
Macau’s chief executive has discretionary powers to suspend casino operations in emergencies, including typhoons, though these powers have been used sparingly. Some casino operators have occasionally opted to suspend some non-gaming facilities during less severe typhoons, an example being amid Typhoon Tapah, at the start of this month.
During Monday’s meeting (pictured), the regulator and representatives from the six operators reviewed disaster-prevention and emergency-response plans for casinos in the face of severe weather.
According to the DICJ, operators must ensure the orderly evacuation of staff and guests from gaming venues within two hours prior to the hoisting of Signal No. 8, in order to safeguard safety.
The meeting focused on contingency measures including staff deployment, labour protection, safe evacuation of customers, reinforcement of casino infrastructure, stockpiling of emergency supplies, and incident-reporting procedures. Officials from Macau’s Labour Affairs Bureau also attended.
Operators briefed the government on their current state of preparedness.
The discussions followed a preparatory meeting held on September 18, during which the regulator detailed execution procedures for typhoon readiness.
Local authorities have said Super Typhoon Ragasa could be as strong as Typhoon Hato, which struck the city in August 2017 with wind speeds of 200 kilometres per hour (124 mph), causing 10 deaths and widespread damage to infrastructure that disrupted tourism for more than a week, including operations at several casino venues.
Residents have been urged to take early precautions against wind damage and flooding, and to prepare essential emergency supplies.
Disruption to inbound and outbound transport – by both sea and air – is expected to worsen as Super Typhoon Ragasa approaches Macau.
Macau International Airport said it expected around 250 flights to be affected by the typhoon. “After 4pm on September 23, flight operations will be significantly reduced, with virtually no flights taking off or landing on September 24,” the airport operator said in a press release on Monday.
“Flight services are expected to gradually resume on the morning of September 25,” it added.
The authorities have also warned that border checkpoints will be temporarily closed from Tuesday afternoon as part of the emergency measures against the typhoon.
