Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has ordered officials to reassess standards for issuing and renewing casino licenses as the government moves to gradually reduce the number of properties operating nationwide.
Cambodia still has more than 100 licensed casinos, a number Hun Manet described as excessive on September 16th, according to Chinese-language outlet Cambodia-China Times.
The prime minister said some casinos licensed in the past were extremely small, with some operating from a single shophouse. He also said the industry makes only a limited contribution to Cambodia’s economy and represents a small part of the country’s tourism and services sectors.
His remarks provide broader policy context for a casino license-renewal framework that the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) began developing earlier this month.
As previously reported by AGB, the regulator’s General Secretariat reviewed a proposed ‘casino integrity and quality evaluation framework for license renewals’ at a September 4th meeting chaired by CGMC Secretary-General Yeth Vinel.
The framework is intended to set minimum suitability conditions for casinos seeking to retain their licenses, based on applicable laws and regulatory instruments. While the CGMC has not disclosed the specific criteria or an implementation timetable, Hun Manet’s comments suggest tighter approval and renewal standards will form part of the government’s broader effort to reduce casino numbers and strengthen oversight.
The review comes amid a nationwide crackdown on online scams. Authorities investigated 195 licensed casinos over the past year, with at least 72 subsequently ceasing operations because their licenses were revoked or they did not meet renewal requirements, Cambodia-China Times reported.
Cambodia stopped issuing new online gambling licenses in 2019 and no longer permits online gambling. However, authorities found that some casinos continued to exploit legal and regulatory loopholes to operate online gambling businesses.
Hun Manet ordered relevant agencies to inspect casinos and close those loopholes before October. Casinos involved in online gambling or other violations would not have their licenses renewed under the proposed framework.
The prime minister also reaffirmed that the government would not permit casinos in Siem Reap, despite repeated investor interest in developing properties in the World Heritage destination.
