Cambodian authorities ordered the closure of all casinos in the country from Wednesday night as part of a number of measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has contributed to the COVID-19 infection.
“We have issued an order to close all casinos from 23:59 pm to April 1, 2020,” Hun Sen told a news conference on Monday, as reported by China’s Xinhua news agency.
“This is only a temporary closure and we will be able to resume operations once the situation stabilizes,” he added
Cambodia’s prime minister said he would work with casinos on tax exemptions while gaming operations were suspended, Reuters reported.
Casinos in major gaming jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines, South Korea and Malaysia, have been temporarily closed across markets due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Macau ordered all casino facilities to be shut down for 15 days in February.
Casino markets in other parts of the world have also reported recent global disease warnings that have caused travel restrictions and health checks for consumers arriving at locations to halt casino business altogether or significantly reduce profits.
As of Monday, Cambodia has reported a total of 107 cases of infection by the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a statement from the health ministry. One of the four new cases reported on Monday involved a worker at a casino and karaoke club in the northwestern province of Bantei Minchi, near the border with Thailand, Reuters reported, citing the health ministry.
Cambodian authorities last week ordered restaurants and bars to close as a measure against the COVID-19 pandemic. The government also restricted entry visas for foreigners.
As of December 2019, “more than 125 casinos were operating in Cambodia, many of which were run by Chinese,” Reuters said in a report. The news agency did not provide a source of information.
All other casinos in Cambodia are in border areas or in Sihanoukville, except for the Naga World complex in the capital Phnom Penh, which is run by Hong Kong-listed Nagakov, Xinhua reported, citing the Cambodian prime minister.
A person familiar with the situation told GGRAsia that NagaWorld will suspend its gaming operations as directed by the Cambodian government. Hotel operations at the resort will continue. The official noted that NagaWorld had been practicing safety measures, including gaps between casino customers, prior to the planned gaming shutdown.
Nagakov said in February that even if its financial performance could be impacted by the current global coronavirus crisis, “the company’s long-term outlook remains good over the next six months of operations and beyond.”
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