Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has prohibited new casinos in Kep and Kampot on the southern coast. However, the ban does not apply to Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province, where a casino industry is already established.
Manet’s order is designed to “diversify investment in hotel and hospitality, tourism, manufacturing, industry, agriculture, trade and special economic zones.”
His directive also states that the ban aims to preserve religious and cultural values, as well as ensure security and protect popular tourist destinations.
Cambodian casinos: Exclusively for foreigners.
According to the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC), Cambodia currently has 184 licensed gaming halls. Of these, 100 are situated along the coast, 48 are in provinces bordering Thailand, and the rest are located along the border with Vietnam.
Phnom Penh is home to a single casino, NagaWorld. Originally launched as a temporary facility on a boat in the Mekong River in May 1995, it moved to its current location onshore in 2003. NagaCorp Ltd., the operator, holds exclusive gaming rights within a 200-kilometer (124-mile) radius of the capital until 2045.
All casinos in Cambodia are restricted to foreigners only, as gambling has been illegal for locals since 1996. In 2020, the country introduced Article 19 of its Law on Management of Commercial Gaming, which prohibits gambling establishments in certain areas for cultural or religious reasons.
But Article 20 of the law states that casinos constructed in some locations before the law took effect are exempt. In 2023, state revenues from casinos in Cambodia exceeded KHR81.84bn (€18.4m/£15.5m/US$20m).
Changing fortunes
Yong Kim Eng from the People Center for Development and Peace suggests that Cambodian casinos should be restricted to the three already saturated markets. Sihanoukville, located on the Gulf of Thailand, hosts numerous Chinese-operated casinos.
The border town of Bavet caters to Vietnamese patrons, who are limited to gambling at just one casino within Vietnam. Poipet, on the Thai border, attracts gamblers from Thailand. However, Thailand could potentially regain domestic players if it proceeds with plans to legalize casino resorts.
Chhort Bunthang, a researcher at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told the Phnom Pehn Post that balancing the good and bad from casinos is a difficult task.
“Apart from generating revenue for the state, casinos provide income for investors and employees,” he said. “By law, Cambodian citizens are not allowed to enter casinos. But the question is whether we can control this. If managed well, it will not affect our people, but poor management could have negative consequences.”