The General Secretariat of CGMC has granted casino and games of chance licenses to 47 and seven companies respectively on Friday last week, according to a  release, after another press release pointed out that other renewed 16 licenses were granted in early June this year—13 for casinos and three for games of chance.

Mey Vann, secretary of state of MEF, told Khmer Times yesterday that all of these licenses were awarded to casino and game of chance businesses amid economic recovery for border reopening and business resumption after they had suspended their operations affected by the Covid-19 pandemic for about two years.

“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. After the government released tourism recovery strategies and aviation reopening, they probably hope that they would be able to see more tourists coming,” Vann said.

Vann, who is also a member of CGMC, added that visitors who are expected to enjoy commercial gambling including casinos and games of chance would mostly come from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and European countries, while China is yet to fully reopen due to its ‘Zero Covid-19’ policy — millions of Chinese people in Shanghai, Beijing, and elsewhere are facing strict lockdowns.

“As the number of guests in the casino industry has still been limited, they should release marketing campaigns along with boosting government tourism recovery to attract visitors from other countries after they got the renewal of their licenses,” he said, adding that the tourism and aviation reopening strategies would help boost the casino industry to recover soon even though the industry has still been in the early stage of recovery.

The list of license renewal recipients shows that casinos are in provinces including Banteay Meanchey, Svay Rieng, Kampot, Pailin, Preah Sihanouk provinces such as Star Vegas operated by ASX-listed Donaco International Ltd, Casino Holiday Poipet and Poipet Resort, Grand Pailin, Le Macau Club and Xa Mat Cas, while Sokha Vegas and Thansur Bokor are casinos run by Sokha Hotel
Co Ltd.

Osmach Resorts in Banteay Meanchey province and Koh Kong International in Koh Kong province are operated under LYP Group Co Ltd and Crown Resorts in Banteay Meanchey province and Crown Bavet belong to Anco Brothers Co Ltd, while Lim Heng Group runs three casinos: Royal Hill Resort and Casino, Srangam Resort and Casino and Sai Taku Resort and Casino.

Hak Vy, hotel manager at Titan King Casino Hotel & Resort, located in Bavet City, told Khmer Times that Titan King has been in process of requesting for renewal of its casino license to MEF, while about 70 percent of casinos on the border area with Vietnam have completed renovation of their facilities after being suffered destruction due to the lack of maintenance during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vy said that he has noticed most visitors who enter Bavet city to enjoy casinos come from China, but the number of guests is still small as the border checkpoint has not been open fully yet.

“However, I hope that people will return to work in these businesses when all casinos are opened and I think at that time it will be easier to recruit staff. All in all, I have seen businesspeople in casinos are more active these days expediting renovation and doing promotions. I have heard more often about financial cooperation between them in their businesses,” he said.

Ros Phearun, secretary general of the General Secretariat of CGMC, said early in May that operators of casinos in border areas, including Poipet and Bavet towns, have not applied to renew their licenses and needed to renovate the buildings due to the lack of maintenance.