Licence renewals restart Cambodia casinos

The renewal of casino licences in Cambodia has now reached 70, reports B2B Cambodia.

The country’s General Secretariat of Commercial Gambling Managing Commission of Cambodia has renewed another 47 casino licences and seven games of chance licences. In addition to the 13 casino and three games of chance licences approved in June, this brings the total to 70.

The sector is trying to recover from the impact of the pandemic and from the reduction in visitors from neighbouring China, brought about by that country’s limits on border crossings while it too tackles the ongoing pandemic.

Gambling in Cambodia has also been under pressure from negative media reports concerning the use of illegal workers and staffing issues at NagaWorld in Phnom Penh.

Most of the renewed licences apply to locations closed down for over two years by the pandemic. Casinos in Cambodia must renew their licences annually.

The country has around 200 casinos but only about 20 of them were operational at the end of June. However, 129 had reapplied for the renewal of their licences.