Macao is a ghost town. The only place where it's legal to gamble in China has been shut down for two weeks as government officials try to gain control of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 900 people so far.
The casino industry was already reeling from a slowdown in business that saw gambling revenue decline last year for the first time since the recovery began there in 2016. And after the first coronavirus cases were reported at the end of last year, visits to Macao plummeted.
Officials ordered casinos to close beginning Feb. 5 and stay shut for a 15-day period, though it's possible it could be longer if the virus cannot be contained. While the first quarter was already shaping up as dismal for the gambling houses, with visits plummeting and gambling revenue tumbling 11% in January, now it's looking to be absolute devastation.