The General Secretariat of the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC), part of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), renewed the validity of 70 licenses held by casino and game of chance companies nationwide in the second quarter of 2022, according to a CGMC release1. Of those, 47 casino licenses and seven games of chance licenses were granted on Friday of the week before the report, while 16 further renewals were granted in early June, 13 for casinos and three for games of chance1.
Mey Vann, a secretary of state at MEF and a member of CGMC, said the licenses went to existing holders rather than new entrants, as operators restarted business after about two years of pandemic-related suspension1.
"They actually have existing licenses and so we do not grant any new licenses, but we have renewed those existing ones so that they can reopen their business operations. So, there are no new licenses yet."
The renewal list covers casinos in Banteay Meanchey, Svay Rieng, Kampot, Pailin and Preah Sihanouk provinces1. Named operators include:
- Star Vegas, run by ASX-listed Donaco International Ltd1
- Sokha Vegas and Thansur Bokor, run by Sokha Hotel Co Ltd1
- Osmach Resorts in Banteay Meanchey and Koh Kong International in Koh Kong, both under LYP Group Co Ltd1
- Crown Resorts in Banteay Meanchey and Crown Bavet, both belonging to Anco Brothers Co Ltd1
- Royal Hill Resort and Casino, Srangam Resort and Casino and Sai Taku Resort and Casino, all run by Lim Heng Group1
- Casino Holiday Poipet, Poipet Resort, Grand Pailin, Le Macau Club and Xa Mat Cas1
Hak Vy, hotel manager at Titan King Casino Hotel & Resort in Bavet City, said Titan King was still in the process of requesting renewal of its casino license from MEF, and that about 70 percent of casinos on the border with Vietnam had finished renovating facilities damaged by lack of maintenance during the pandemic1. Vy said most visitors entering Bavet for casinos come from China, but numbers remain small because the border checkpoint has not fully reopened1. Ros Phearun, secretary general of the CGMC secretariat, said in early May that casino operators in border areas including Poipet and Bavet had not applied to renew their licenses and needed to renovate buildings1.
Vann said expected commercial gambling visitors would mostly come from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and European countries, while China has yet to fully reopen under its Zero Covid-19 policy1.
What it means for players
A renewed license means the holder is on the CGMC register for the second quarter of 2022, not that a new venue has opened. Players checking a Cambodian casino or game of chance operator can compare the name against the public gambling license registers and the guidance on how to check if a casino, betting site or lottery is licensed. The distinction between a renewal and a new grant matters, because a venue advertising a "new" license may simply be an existing operator whose paperwork was extended. Cambodia's license types separate casino and game of chance permissions, and the two were renewed in different numbers here. Titan King was not among the confirmed renewals at the time of the report, so its status should be treated as pending. For general context on gambling in the country, see Can I Gamble in Cambodia?.
What happens next
Titan King's renewal request was still with MEF, with no decision date reported1. No date was given for the reopening of the Bavet border checkpoint, which Vy linked to visitor numbers1.
Sources1 sources
- Gov’t renews 70 casino and game of chance firms, khmertimeskh.com
