Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) approved the temporary closure of three Mocha Clubs venues on Tuesday night after the government hoisted typhoon Signal No.8, which was lifted to Signal No.9 at 2:30am today (Wednesday), and then ultimately to Signal No.10, the highest signal level, at 5am today.
The three Mocha Club venues, located at Kuong Fat, Macau Tower and Inner Harbour, were closed due to safety concerns with the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) issuing a flood warning for low lying areas.
Mocha Clubs conduct Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s non-casino slot parlor operations with eight venues in operation across the SAR.
The closure of three venues on Tuesday comes almost two years after a typhoon last forced the closure of Macau gaming venues, with all casinos shutting their doors for 29 hours in September 2018 due to Typhoon Mangkhut.
The Government Information Bureau said Wednesday morning that, as of 5am, it had received six reports of incidents such as flooding, traffic accidents or fallen trees, canopies or lamp posts due to Typhoon Higos. There were also 147 residents making use of 17 designated shelter venues.
At publication time there had been no word as to whether casinos would also be forced to close on Wednesday as a result of the typhoon, however a number of properties announced a reduction in services including the closure of some restaurants and other non-gaming facilities.
