Cambodia Grants 13 Casinos Licenses in Four Months

The authorities in Cambodia have granted 13 casino licences in the first four months of this year. Ros Phearun, an official in the Ministry of Finance in Phnom Penh, said that the authorities had now granted a total of 163 casino licences and 91 of the licences were for casinos in the province of Preah Sihanouk.

“We have granted a lot of licences, but there are actually only 51 casinos in operation. The rest are now being built, while some have halted operations. The rise in the number of casinos reflects the increase in tourists, particularly Chinese,” Mr Phearun said.

He said the government is expecting US$70 million in tax revenue from the gaming industry this year. He also added that the relevant ministries had finished drafting legislation governing gaming, and that the respective bill would be sent to the Council of Ministers soon, with a view to its eventual enactment.

“With this law, we hope that to attract more big casino investors and increase revenue from the industry. I think that, as a result of this law, revenue collected from the industry will double,” Phearun said.