At least 10 Cambodia casinos reopen, more soon: govt

Sep 28, 2020 Newsdesk Latest News, Rest of Asia, Top of the deck  

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At least eight casinos in Cambodia aside from NagaWorld in the capital Phnom Penh, and Star Vegas Resort and Club in Poipet, have reopened for limited operations after being shuttered due to Covid-19 countermeasures, with more to come “soon”, reported the Phnom Penh Post newspaper on Sunday, citing information from a government official.

An aggregate of eight of the reopened venues was said to be in the coastal town of Sihanoukville, but the properties were not identified by name.

Other casinos, in Bavet, on Cambodia’s border with Vietnam, were due to open shortly, according to the report.

The Cambodia market is said to have more than 100 casinos.

The news outlet quoted Ros Phearun, a senior official of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as a source for the information.

Reopening casino venues were subject to limits on their operations and “must ensure social distancing and cleanliness,” the Sunday edition of the news outlet cited the official as saying. It was expected that “more” would be “reopening soon”, the person added.

Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen said on July 3 that casino operators across the nation would be allowed to resume operations if they met health requirements to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks at their respective venues.

Star Vegas Resort and Club, a casino resort in Poipet, on Cambodia’s border with Thailand, was due for a “limited reopening” from Friday, said its promoter, Australia-listed Donaco International Ltd, in a filing the same day.

The venue was closed on a temporary basis from April 1, as part of Cambodia’s Covid-19 countermeasures.

Hong Kong-listed NagaCorp Ltd, the promoter of NagaWorld, had been permitted to reopen its VIP gambling tables and slot machines operation with effect from July 8, subject to applying Covid-19 countermeasures.

The firm announced on July 19 it had also been allowed to reopen its mass-market gaming tables.

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