Residents claim Cambodian casino is allowing locals to gamble
Residents in Banteay Chakrei commune, Preah Sdach district, have called on authorities to take action against the casino.
Cambodia.- Residents of Banteay Chakrei commune, Preah Sdach district, claim that a casino is allowing Cambodians to gamble. That would be a breach of Cambodian law, which only allows foreign visitors to bet at land-based casinos.
Gambling is illegal in Cambodia under the 1996 Prohibition of Gambling Act, which prohibits all forms of unauthorized gambling and provides penalties ranging from fines to short-term jail terms. Residents have said that they fear a rise in crime in the area due to the casino.
According to Khmer Times, a group of residents is asking Prey Veng Province governor HE Chea Somethy and police commissioner Major General Prum Santhor for action against the casino.
Cambodia’s national authorities have recently called on provincial governments to tighten controls over the gaming industry. Ros Phearun, secretary general of the Cambodian Gambling Management Committee of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, urged authorities to shut illegal gambling in cafes and shops.
In October, the General Secretariat of the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) published a series of new guidelines for gambling businesses. The purpose was to ensure that casino operations are conducted in accordance with the laws and standard documents related to the management of commercial gambling.
