The only way to win money from a casino is to own one. But in Macau, that strategy hasn’t worked over the past two years: The Covid-19 pandemic and strict restrictions on arrivals have kept most gamblers away.
China’s decision this week to partially relax its quarantine policy has ignited hope that things could soon change. Shares of Macau casino operators have jumped, on average, more than 10% this week. China says it will reduce quarantine requirements for travelers to seven days in a hotel and three days at home from 14 days of hotel quarantine. The change won’t affect Macau much directly, but it could be a signal of where China’s zero-Covid policy is going.
