Cambodia gaming ban sees 91 operators shut down
Government has moved quickly on plans to abolish online and arcade gambling in the country
Cambodia.- A little over a week into the new year and Cambodia has already moved ahead with plans to enforce a total ban on gambling operations in the country. Authorities have already shut down online and arcade gambling operations in 91 casinos since the law came into effect on 1 January 2020, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).
Deputy Director-General of the MEF, Ros Phearun, confirmed this week that a joint committee comprising MEF officials, National Police and Military Police officers conducted strict inspections in casinos, with a majority of Cambodia’s 118 operational casinos having been forced to shut down online operations as a result.
“I can say that all arcade gambling operations in the Kingdom completely ceased after the ban,” Phearun said in a press conference, adding: “After ceasing online gambling, some casinos are still operating one or two months to see if they can make earnings, we believe more casinos will cease their business.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen announced in August that the Kingdom would stop issuing online gaming licenses and wouldn’t renew any then-current licenses once they expired.
