SAR prepares for Ragasa
Casinos in China’s Special Administrative Region (SAR) of Macau are all shuttering as the gambling hub braces for Super Typhoon Ragasa.
The announcement came Tuesday after the SAR’s six licensed gaming operators, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), and the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) held an emergency response meeting.
Typhoon Signal No. 8
The operators and the various bodies had convened for an emergency meeting after the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau issued a Typhoon Signal No. 8 warning. On Tuesday, Hong Kong University lecturer Marianne Bray took to X with videos of the impact Ragasa is already having on the SAR:
According to reports, all the gambling operators, which include Las Vegas Sands subsidiary Sands China, “must arrange for employees and guests to exit casino premises within two hours of the signal’s activation.”
Landfall expected Wednesday
As what Reuter’s described as the “world’s most powerful tropical cyclone this year” nears Hong Kong, SAR officials have urged people to stay at home, with most passenger flights grounded until Thursday.
As of Tuesday, Ragasa was roughly 135 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong tracking west-northwestward with hurricane-force winds of around 130 mph and gusts up to 165 mph. The Hong Kong Observatory stated the Super Typhoon is forecast to make landfall in Macau’s neighboring Chinese province of Guangdong sometime on Wednesday.
In a statement, the DICJ said it had “fulfilled its supervisory powers and coordinated with various gaming companies to temporarily close” properties and gambling venues “and to make proper rest arrangements for employees and tourists.”
Forecasts dampened
The casino closures amid Ragasa have also dampened financial outlooks.
Asia Gaming Brief cited banking group Citigroup as cutting its September 2025 gross gaming revenue forecast for Macau down to MOP18.5bn ($2.3bn) because of the typhoon.
Citigroup analysts noted that the casino shutdowns dovetail with an “already challenging pre-October Golden Week slowdown, further dampening visitor demand.”
