Nagaworld to reopen for VIP guests

The casino operator has reached an agreement with the Cambodian government to resume VIP and gaming machine operations.

Cambodia.- NagaWorld, the casino complex operated in Cambodia by Hong Kong-based NagaCorp, will partially reopen for business on July 8.

Cambodia’s Prime Minister had announced that casinos would be allowed to reopen in the country if they obtained a permit from the Ministry of Health and followed prevention protocols against Covid-19.

NagaCorp has reached a memorandum of understanding with the Cambodian Ministry of Health and gained consent to reopen only VIP and slot gaming machines businesses from July 8.

The company said it was reopening as a trial to test how much businesses it will do under the current conditions, noting that in Cambodia the pandemic had been “relatively well contained”.

The memorandum will serve as a pilot depending on the casino following requirements, including an inspection from the ministry’s technical team.

The casino has had to designate five isolation rooms for prevention measures in case of any health issues with guests and must inform the Ministry of Health of any Covid-19 cases.

It must carry out temperature screenings on all guests and employees, enforce the wearing of face masks, and increase disinfection schedules and provision of provide sanitizers.

Slots machine capacity will be cut by 50 per cent, while in gaming rooms, players won’t be allowed to stand and only three players will be allowed at each table.

At food and beverage outlets, tables will be placed at 1.5 meters from each other, and only 50 per cent seating capacity at each table will be allowed. The casino will also have to stop buffet services.

As the only casino in the city centre, the biggest private sector investment in the gaming industry, and one of the main employers in the country with 8,500 employees, NagaWorld will be the first casino to reopen and could serve as a template for others.