Cambodia: Prime Minister Manet bans new casinos in Kep and Kampot provinces

Prime Minister Hun Manet has announced a ban on new casino developments in Cambodia's Kep and Kampot provinces, with exceptions only for existing operations on Bokor Mountain.

This decision aims to promote investment diversification in sectors such as tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture, and to enhance cultural and religious preservation, as well as maintain order in tourist areas, The Phnom Penh Post reported.

Currently, Cambodia has 184 licensed casinos, with 100 located in coastal regions, including those on Bokor Mountain. The provinces bordering Thailand host 48 casinos, and 35 are near the Vietnam border. Phnom Penh has one casino, NagaWorld, which has exclusive gaming rights within a 200km radius until 2045.

The 2020 Law on Management of Commercial Gaming restricts casino operations in certain areas for cultural and religious conservation, but establishments built before the law's enactment are exempt. All casinos in Cambodia are restricted to foreign patrons, as local residents have been banned from gambling in casinos since 1996.

In 2023, Cambodia's state revenue from commercial gaming reached over $20 million. Critics, such as Yong Kim Eng, president of the People Center for Development and Peace, argue that casinos do not significantly benefit the country and may lead to social issues such as debt. Cultural experts like Chhort Bunthang of the Royal Academy of Cambodia suggest that the decision to limit new casinos reflects the country's sufficient number of existing establishments, particularly along its borders.

The Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) monitors the industry, emphasizing that while casino revenue contributes to the national budget, gambling remains culturally unconventional in Cambodia.

"Apart from generating revenue for the state, casinos provide income for investors and employees. By law, Cambodian citizens are not allowed to enter casinos. But the question is whether we can control this. If managed well, it will not affect our people, but poor management could have negative consequences,” Chhort Bunthang, a Cultural Relations, Education and Tourism research officer at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, was quoted as saying in the report.

"The important thing is to manage according to our legal principles so that our people do not get involved in gambling. We now see gambling in casinos and online games. The question is how to prevent our citizens from playing these games while recognising that casinos also benefit our national budget,” he added.