Travel

Macau Tourist Arrivals From China Plunge 80% in Blow for Casinos

Visitor numbers tumble on virus fears, travel restrictions
Former Portuguese enclave is home to biggest gambling hub

Pedestrians walk past the the Sands Cotai Central and Venetian Macao casino resorts in Macau on Jan. 24.Photographer: Billy H.C. Kwok/Bloomberg

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By Richard Frost

January 27, 2020 at 5:39 AM UTC

China’s deadly virus outbreak is threatening the outlook for casino operators in the world’s largest gambling hub.

The number of mainland Chinese visitors to Macau fell 80% on Sunday, the third day of the holiday, compared with the equivalent day during last year’s Lunar New Year break, according to the city’s tourism office. For the first three days of the holiday, arrivals were down 66%, the data show.