Inside Asian Gaming

NagaCorp Ltd, owner and operator of NagaWorld in Phnom Penh, has revealed plans to develop a US$350 million non-gaming resort in Siem Reap aimed at promoting NagaWorld and UNESCO world heritage-listed Angkor Wat as “twin tourism icons of Cambodia.”

A report issued by Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism has revealed a 72% decline in foreign visitor arrivals for the first eight months of 2020, including an 83% fall in visitors from mainland China.

Cambodia’s National Assembly has approved its long-awaited draft law on commercial gambling management, aimed at providing greater regulation of the nation’s casino industry.

At least 10 casinos in Cambodia have now reopened since a closure order was lifted in early July, with more expected to follow soon, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Donaco International Limited has reopened its Cambodian casino, Star Vegas in Poipet, with limited operations pending the reopening of the border with Thailand.

NagaCorp has revealed that gaming volume at its Phnom Penh integrated resort, NagaWorld, in August recovered to almost the same levels as before the property’s three-month closure due to COVID-19.

Australian-listed Donaco International Limited says it expects to undergo assessment by Cambodia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) ahead of a planned reopening of Star Vegas in Poipet “within the next few weeks” – but it could be sometime yet before customers return.

Hong Kong’s Century Entertainment International Holdings, formerly known as Amax International Holdings, is set to relocate gaming tables under its operation in Sihanoukville, Cambodia to a new location after the company’s Chairman and owner of the casino in question revealed it was relocating.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has given the green light for almost 200 casinos across the country to reopen, provided they meet certain COVID-19 safety measures as approved by the Ministry of Health.

Hong Kong’s Century Entertainment International Holdings Limited, formerly known as Amax International Holdings, has terminated a lease deal with Cambodia’s Crown Resorts Co Ltd to operate a VIP room at Genting Crown Casino in Poipet, Cambodia.

Donaco International Ltd has temporarily closed most operations at its Star Vegas Hotel in Poipet, Cambodia following an announcement by the government of Thailand this week that the border crossing between the two countries would be closed for two weeks.

The World Poker Tour has announced that it will hold the first WPT main tour event in Asia in seven years with WPT Cambodia scheduled to take place from 21 to 25 July at NagaWorld.

More than 200,000 Chinese nationals left Cambodia in the wake of the Prime Minister’s decision to ban online gaming operations in the Kingdom, the government of the kingdom has revealed.

Cambodian authorities have shut down online and arcade gambling operations in 91 casinos since a total ban on the industry came into effect on 1 January 2020, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).

An estimated 10,000 Chinese citizens have fled the Cambodian city of Sihanoukville in the space of a few days following a recently announced crackdown on online gambling operations, according to reports.

The World Poker Tour has announced that it will host the very first WPT Cambodia at NagaWorld in Phnom Penh this year.

A group of 12 Chinese nationals arrested in Cambodia for kidnapping three people over gambling debts are said to have been working for a Poipet casino.

The number of casino licenses issued in Cambodia continues to soar, with the Ministry of Finance revealing another 13 licenses had been issued during the first four months of 2019.

Asian casino operator Macau Legend Development Ltd is looking to expand its current portfolio further into Laos and potentially through Cambodia and Vietnam, according to Executive Director Sheldon Trainer.

Major casino operators have long perceived Cambodia as a tertiary gaming market – a collective mix of border casinos that catered to residents of adjacent countries seeking a convenient place to gamble.