The New Political Landscape Of The Macao Casino Industry
The Chinese government have made some drastic changes to political and economic policy which could have a massive effect on the country’s casino industry. Forced closures have caused major economic pitfalls as the city struggles to maintain any sort of financial growth or economic activity. Many Macao residents have criticized the Chinese government for harshly shutting off the city without any registered COVID cases within the city limits, but China’s zero cases policy has proven to be extremely ruthless, stopping at nothing to prevent the spread of the virus.
China’s government are moving into a new phase of direct operation revolving around numerous fiscal changes as well as political influence. Business owners are left mostly in the dark as they struggle to understand drastic changes coming their way. ©AdamHillTravel/Pixabay
Macao has faced a number of tough challenges over the past few years. Criticism from abroad and its own government have prevented the growth the city’s ministers were once hopeful of. Now it has been shut off completely, and the detrimental effects are on show for all to see. There is no longer any life in the streets, almost resembling a post-apocalyptic film; Macao is barren with little to no signs of life as residents are forced to stay inside. The sweltering heat hasn’t helped at all as temperatures rose to roughly 35 degrees Celsius last week.
The casino industry has suffered greatly because of the forced closures imposed by the Chinese government. While Macao isn’t the only city affected by COVID, it’s main industry has been placed in a stranglehold that it cannot escape from, forcing many businesses to close down due to a lack of revenue. No one knows what to predict as the governments moves have become so erratic and offensive, one moment, the city has opened up completely, and the next, it’s all shut behind an iron curtain once again.
Despite all the economic hardships the city is facing, businesses are still clinging to the hope of a mass reopening, depending on the Chinese government to get through the next few challenging months. It seems unlikely that the closure will be lifted any time soon, however, as the government continues to crack down on COVID-19 extremely harshly. Shanghai has been badly affected by COVID restrictions and was only yesterday placed back into widespread lockdown as cases surged across the east side of the country.
How Policy Changes Will Affect Macao
Some would argue that China has been a country of modesty and oppression for decades, but the government’s actions during the pandemic have led many nationalists to question the country’s true nature. Many argue that they have used the pandemic as a method to control the population with ease and impose sanctions on anyone who dares to resist. Others are willing to comply, but there is an unquestionable sense of unrest among the Chinese people, who are growing tired of watching the rest of the world reopen while they are forced to sit inside to avoid the virus.
Macao’s Casinos are under immense pressure to survive as they are a key source of income for the country. People around the world visit the city to enjoy the gambling experience like no other. That could all soon vanish if the restrictions continue for much longer, while war rages in Ukraine and then compiled with other economic problems, the situation has become grim very quickly. Business owners are desperate to reopen, and they are calling for the government to act fast and allow them to do so. Things could get extremely difficult for businesses if the current climate persists.
Formerly colonised by Portugal, Macao has had a strange history throughout the years, no one could’ve imagined the current state of the city over two years ago, but Macao has been one of the worst affected areas in Asia for restrictions. The zero covid strategies must persist according to the government, and nothing will stop them from closing cities or preventing the freedom of movement as long as the virus exists within its borders. Police are now patrolling the streets to catch any stragglers or lawbreakers, and the penalties for these people are extremely harsh.
