Cambodia issues licenses to 25 casinos and 4 lottery companies

Cambodia's Commercial Gambling Committee Secretariat issued licenses to 25 casino companies and 4 lottery companies on September 22, 2022, under the country's Gambling Law, according to a secretariat notice reported by cc-times.com¹. The law was formally passed at the end of 2020¹.

The 25 licensed casino companies include Lin Puli Investment Co., Ltd (Puli Casino), My Chance Entertainment Co., Ltd (KMH Paradise Tower Casino & Hotel), W.E Development Co., Ltd (Diamond City Casino & Hotel), Goodworld Hotel Co., Ltd (Goodworld Casino & Hotel), Huy Success Trading Co., Ltd (Emerald Poipet), and Chhun Chhean Investment Co., Ltd (ARIA Poipet Casino & Hotel), among others¹. The four licensed lottery companies are SPLY Investment Co., Ltd, Every Bright Rich Trading Company Ltd, Pan Cambodian Lottery Corporation Limited, and Lucky Star Dragon Lotto Co., Ltd¹. The report stated that the majority shareholders of the 25 casino companies are mostly foreigners, including Chinese nationals¹.

The law also sets minimum capital requirements: 200 million US dollars for an integrated resort and 100 million US dollars for an ordinary casino¹.

Ros Phirun, secretary general of the Commercial Gambling Committee, told cc-times.com in an interview late last year that after the Gambling Law took effect, the government expected the number of casinos in Cambodia to decrease significantly¹. In 2019, the Ministry of Economy and Finance issued 196 casino licenses¹.

What it means for players

The licenses confirm which casino and lottery operators are recognized under the Gambling Law¹. Players in Cambodia, including locals, expats and visitors, can check the list of licensed operators to see whether a specific venue holds a current license¹. The report does not state whether the 25 casinos were previously operating without licenses or whether these are new or renewed licenses. The report also does not state how many casinos currently operate in Cambodia or how many applications were rejected. The names of the licensed companies and their casino brands are listed in the notice, but the report does not provide locations or opening dates for each venue.

What happens next

The report does not state any dated next steps. It notes that the government expected the number of casinos to decrease significantly after the Gambling Law took effect, but no timeline or target figure is given¹.