Massachusetts | Gaming commission shuts down casinos in response to Covid-19

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted unanimously Saturday to temporarily suspend operations at the state’s three casino properties, in a move that closely resembles a decision in Macau last month.

Wynn Resorts Ltd.’s Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Penn National Gaming’s Plainridge Park Casino closed their doors yesterday evening (Macau time).

“As we all continue to navigate this unprecedented and rapidly evolving situation, our agency and our licensees will remain in close consultation with public health authorities and government officials to determine safe protocols for resuming operation,” the Commission said in a statement.

Casino operators in Macau, where MGM and Wynn run gaming resorts, closed under a government order for 15 days last month. That was the longest-ever suspension of gambling activities since the liberalization of the sector at the start of the century and only the second such suspension after Typhoon Mangkhut forced a 33-hour shutdown in 2018.

The closure has led or coincided with a significant loss of business – all while companies have to keep paying staff and maintaining their properties.

Like all travel and leisure related businesses, casinos have been particularly hard hit by the virus and the precautions taken to prevent its spread. Las Vegas, where MGM Resorts International is the biggest operator, is taking a hit. Last month, MGM withdrew its earnings forecast for 2020, citing the impact of the virus on its casinos in Macau and Las Vegas.

Moody’s revised its outlook on the U.S. gaming sector this week to negative from stable because of the outbreak. DB/Bloomberg