Southeast Asian casino operator Donaco International Limited has revealed a 62% reduction in head count and a 42% fall in hotel occupancy at its Star Vegas casino in Poipet, Cambodia due to the implementation of border restrictions by Thailand.
The restrictions follow recent conflict between the two nations, including a brief military clash on 28 May, related to historical territorial disputes over the Thailand-Cambodia border.
The Thai government responded last week by imposing a variety of measures such as reduced border crossing hours and a ban on Thai nationals crossing the border for non-essential travel, specifically tourism and gambling in casinos located in border towns like Poipet.
With those measures having now been in place for over a week, Donaco said Monday that it has observed a reduction in activity at Star Vegas, including a 62% reduction in the average daily headcount and a 42% reduction in daily hotel occupancy since the measures were imposed. This trend is expected to impact Star Vegas’ profits for the month of June, it added.
“While both governments have expressed a commitment to resolving the border tensions, bilateral talks held on 14 June 2025 did not ultimately result in a resolution.
While the current situation is relatively calm, underlying disputes persist, and the Thai government continues to impose measures impacting movements across the border,” Donaco explained.
At a time when Thailand is grappling with the idea of legalizing casino gaming within large-scale entertainment complexes, the decline in headcount at Star Vegas highlights the proliferation of Thai players crossing the border to gamble in overseas casinos.
Donaco, which also operates Aristo International Hotel in northern Vietnam near the border with China, previously reported an average headcount of 928 players in the March 2025 quarter.
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