Cambodia’s casinos are still struggling to recover from the pandemic. This is the main reason why casino license renewals have fallen significantly in 2022.
According to the country’s gaming regulator, the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia, just 143 casinos applied for license renewal this year. Of that, 13 have successfully renewed their licenses.
Pandemic Continues to Hit Cambodia’s Casinos
Cambodia was home to more than 200 licensed casinos but things changed when the pandemic hit. Ros Phirun, the Commission’s secretary general, also pointed out that the implementation of new rules for the gambling sector, which require a minimum capital investment and annual license renewal, is also partly to blame for why some casinos decided not to renew their licenses.
Cambodia’s casino GGR performance for the first six months of the year is very weak and Phirun said the industry will only begin to see an improvement when the country’s tourism industry recovers.
Online Gambling Syndicates Targeting Chinese Citizens in Cambodia
Meanwhile, as Cambodia’s land-based gambling sector struggles to get back on its feet, its online counterpart has recently been penetrated by criminal syndicates, resulting in several Chinese citizens being held for ransom in the country by con artist organizations. The victims have since been rescued.
Such incidents prompted the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia to issue a notice, warning Chinese citizens against getting involved with online gambling syndicates.
