All casinos in Cambodia will close from midnight on Thursday following an order from Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Under measures to be introduced by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, aimed at combating the spread of COVID-19, all casinos nationwide must close from 11.59pm on Wednesday 1 April until further notice with the government to “take action in accordance with the law in force accordingly” against any operators that fail to comply.
The Ministry will waive monthly tax obligations for the duration of the closures, which impact close to 120 operational casinos across the country, the most notable being NagaWorld in Phnom Penh.
The Prime Minister explained the reason for delaying closure until late Wednesday was to provide time for the government to discuss details with casino owners.
“It is because casino employers need to solve the issues with their employees,” he said. “If we close the casinos right away, then casino employers will flee.”