Cambodia seeks to boost tourism with 70 casino license renewals

Days after more than 40 people made an intrepid crossing from Cambodia and swam through the Mekong River back to Vietnam, the country is attempting to give a boost to its gaming sector and casino industry. The Khmer Times cited information by the General Secretariat of the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia which confirmed that 70 licenses have been renewed to casinos in the country.

While some confusion was present at first as to how many licenses have been renewed, the Khmer Times contacted the secretary of state for the Ministry of Economy and Finance, under which the CGMC operates, and sought clarification into the matter. Secretary Mey Vann explained that the government had issued no new licenses, but rather sought to renew those that were already in operation.

However, new licenses may be coming, Vann teased in a conversation with the media. Right now, though, Cambodia must focus on elaborating strategies that will allow its tourism industry to get on with its recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic and drop in tourism has impacted public finances in Cambodia heavily.

The country also struggled with a streak of accidents that tarnished its international reputation with Cambodia remaining on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)’s grey list. The country now hopes to attract more than one million tourists in 2022 as part of its plans to boost tourism. Border reopening and business resumption are all part of the plans that the country has laid ahead, Vann confirmed for the media.

The tourist inflows are mostly going to come from countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and notably European countries. China, though, remains wary of encouraging cross-border travel because of its zero COVID-19 policy, which has sacrificed economic recovery for the sake of protecting people’s lives.

Megapolises across the country have been put on strict shutdown with infected people whisked away to quarantine areas. China has even used its border officers to dissuade citizens from leaving the country to travel to Cambodia or Macau to gamble.

Vann, though, is banking on a strong recovery, partly boosted by commercial gambling in casinos. However, Vann admitted that the number of guests has so far been limited. This should pick up as more people travel to Cambodia in the coming months, he opined.

However, Cambodia has a very serious problem to address – shortages of skilled laborers who want to return to the casinos. When the COVID-19 pandemic first struck, many members of staff were dismissed unapologetically. This has undermined workers’ trust in Cambodia’s casinos. Many are reluctant to risk it again, and as a result, casino workers are in high demand but in short supply.

The most recent news about the Vietnamese workers who were mistreated and had to swim across the river to get back home after overpowering guards did not help assuage would-be workers’ fears.

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