Jul 09, 2020 Newsdesk Latest News, Rest of Asia, Top of the deck  
There was a “very positive public response” to the reopening on Wednesday of the NagaWorld casino resort in Phnom Penh after a shutdown amid the Covid-19 alert, said Tim McNally, chairman of the Cambodian resort’s promoter, NagaCorp Ltd.
The firm has been permitted to reopen its VIP gambling tables and slot machines operation, subject to applying Covid-19 countermeasures.
“Naga opened yesterday [July 8] with a very positive public response,” Mr McNally told GGRAsia. “We had a very good opening and anticipate increased visitation.”
Mr McNally did not give details of how many members of the public visited for the reopening. But he added that Covid-19 prevention measures at the NagaWorld complex (pictured in file photo) were of “the highest standards and strictly enforced”.
Mr McNally said the firm’s founder and chief executive, Chen Lip Keong, “being a medical doctor, certainly intends Naga[World] to set the bar high for the private sector in terms of best practices”.
All casinos in Cambodia were ordered to shut down temporarily with effect from April 1, as part of a number of measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus responsible for the Covid-19 infection.
A Sunday filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange by NagaCorp, announcing it had a deal with the Cambodian government allowing it to reopen, said NagaWorld’s opportunity was designed to “serve as a template for application for reopening of business by other casinos”.
Regarding other developments in that market, Mr McNally declined to offer comment on a report by Chinese news agency Xinhua, that Cambodia’s cabinet had approved a draft law on the management of commercial gambling, which was designed to control casinos and other gaming facilities in the country.
The report, citing Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan, said the draft bill set a minimum capital for the investment in a casino and stated measures to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
Approval for the draft bill was given at the same weekly cabinet meeting that approved NagaWorld’s reopening, reported Xinhua, citing the government spokesman.
A statute to regulate the casino industry in Cambodia has long been anticipated.
Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings stated recently that a US$350-million new note offering outlined in late June by NagaCorp, would help improve NagaCorp’s liquidity during the Covid-19 crisis.
May 25, 2023
May 09, 2023
Jun 02, 2023
Jun 02, 2023
Jun 02, 2023
Genting Singapore Ltd says Lam Yi Young has resigned from his role as deputy chief executive of Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd. The latter firm is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Genting...Jun 01, 2023
Alfastreet, a manufacturer of electronic gaming machines,...Jun 01, 2023
Casino equipment maker Sega Sammy Creation Inc is tweaking...Jun 01, 2023
The iGaming segment in Asia “has grown rapidly” since...May 31, 2023
Showing slot machine players – via animations on the...May 31, 2023
Macau stocks in likelihood “have been punished too much...May 31, 2023
There are foreign companies still interested in investing...May 31, 2023
Thailand could pass the necessary enabling legislation for...May 30, 2023
China will remain a key market for Asian gaming...May 30, 2023
Alejandro Tengco (pictured in a file photo), chairman and...May 30, 2023
There are “plenty of reasons” for the global gaming...May 30, 2023
Gaming equipment provider International Game Technology Plc...May 30, 2023
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023 Special Edition:...May 29, 2023
Austria-based gaming equipment maker and operator Novomatic...May 25, 2023
Sports betting and online casino operating platform...May 24, 2023
The business performance in Asia of gaming content and...May 18, 2023
The organisers of Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023...May 17, 2023
Gaming content and equipment supplier Light & Wonder...May 16, 2023
Casino equipment maker Sega Sammy Creation Inc is to...May 09, 2023
Casino slot machine and digital gaming content provider...May 05, 2023
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia event in Singapore is the...May 04, 2023
An adviser to a Thailand parliamentary committee mulling...(Click here for more)
US$8.1 billion
Macau’s casino gross gaming revenue in the five months to May 31