Best Online Casinos of Cambodia, casino online cambodia.

Casino online cambodia

Online casino sites to play on real money

To make it clear, we of course should uncover the testing and rating procedures that each website from the list undergoes. There is nothing too complicated, however, the majority of inexperienced gamblers make a mistake by not checking casino sites carefully before putting cash in. Even more so, some tend to ignore the obvious red flags like lack of content or absence of security badges. The number of casinos in border towns like poipet, O smach, and bavet are increasing with each year, bringing even more revenue to the government. Every new spot receives cambodia casino license without any complications. This opens some prospects to assume the rapid development of gaming sector in the future - up to its full legalization by the government.

Best online casinos of cambodia

Gambling industry of cambodia is flourishing even though it may not look like that at first glance. The territory of this country is a host to around eight dozens of casinos (as per 2015 data), most of which are located in cities and towns near the border. Tourists, thus, are free to come to cambodia and spend a night gambling and then go back to their home country the next morning.

In 2019, cambodian gambling keeps growing at dynamic rates, both online and offline. In fact, the monetary benefits obtained by the government in the form of taxes were close to $30 million in 2015. We can only imagine how far gambling has taken cambodia so far.

Taking into consideration what is stated above, the abundance of cambodian online casino websites should leave no one wondering why or how. Some of them are great for all players, both residents and nonresidents. Casinority has decided to make the process of choosing easier for you and selected the best online casino sites in cambodia.

Find all the licensed and accredited providers that accept gamers from cambodia in the table below and start playing for real cash without losing a second. A variety of games, guaranteed payouts, and redundant bonuses are waiting for you at the top cambodian casino sites.

Top online casino sites in cambodia

Legal status of online gambling in cambodia

Local residents of cambodia have two options if they want to get into a casino: by bribing police or by getting a foreign ID. Either option works well; the former is possible due to highly corrupted jurisdictions within the country, and the latter only requires greasing the palm of the right people.

According to the gambling law in cambodia on suppression of gambling enacted in 1996, any kind of gambling is illegal. Interestingly enough is that this law addresses local population only, while casinos inside cambodia welcome foreigners with open arms.

The number of casinos in border towns like poipet, O smach, and bavet are increasing with each year, bringing even more revenue to the government. Every new spot receives cambodia casino license without any complications. This opens some prospects to assume the rapid development of gaming sector in the future - up to its full legalization by the government.

As to the gaming destinations on the internet, the law on gambling in cambodia does not stay silent either. Even though it is a relatively new kind of entertainment for people of such a poor country, cambodia online casino is explicitly prohibited. So what should a cambodian gambler do? Cambodians players can find legal online casinos that accept gamblers from their country and play with VPN on.

Even though there aren’t too many casinos that would allow to deposit in cambodian riel (KHR,) players can always deposit in one of the popular currencies like euro or dollar that KHR will be converted to automatically as per current exchange rate. More about how to make a deposit to an online casino in cambodia and payment options available next.

Payment methods in cambodia casino

We’ve established earlier that in order to play in online cambodia casino while staying on its territory you have to be a tourist or have a multiple citizenship. Once you turn on the VPN and chose the location, your IP address changes and you basically appear playing from abroad.

Warning: some casinos rigorously prohibit gambling from restricted countries using VPN. By playing despite the prohibition, you risk getting banned and deprived of your deposited funds as well as the money you won. To ensure your casino allows VPN, check the T&cs carefully.

The most commonly proposed payment methods to deposit to a casino online from cambodia are mastercard, visa, neteller, skrill, ecopayz, paysafecard, entropay and direct bank deposits.

1. Visa/mastercard. These two providers offer credit, debit, prepaid and other type of cards for convenience of each user. Mastercard and visa are present in all populated continents of the globe. They are suitable for depositing to online casinos due to the simplicity and speed with which the money is going to be transferred.


2. Ecopayz/paysafecard/entropay. Prepaid cards can be bought or ordered online. It is a great solution for making casino payments since the info about your transactions does not get into your bank statement.


3. Skrill and neteller. Award-winning e-wallets are also available in cambodia. The payments are processed online with transaction interest close to zero. You can replenish your ewallet using any bank card or via a direct bank transfer.


4. Bank transfer. Wire transfer is a direct transfer of funds from a bank account to a casino.


5. Bitcoin. This payment method is steadily gaining more followers in casino realm. Not excluded, you can find an online casino in cambodia that accepts payments with BTC as well.

As you can see, there is quite a few options for comfy and low-interest payments available for players in cambodia. You can choose what currency to deposit in (the most common are USD, AUD, GBP and EUR).

Bonuses from the best cambodian online casino

Getting into real dough gambling in cambodia makes you entitled to get the best bonuses that only exist in the world of gambling these days. By picking a reputable casino from the recommended list and playing the highest payout game, you can really turn things around.

You’re right, all casinos have bonuses, but which ones are better? To answer this question, we need to know what kind of player you are. Are you into slots or tables? Or, maybe, you are a fan of bingo and dice games? Make a choice in favor of one casino or the other based on your answer. Meanwhile, find the short table with all bonuses and the descriptions below.

Mobile casino bonuses

A lion’s share of tourists and native cambodians prefer gambling from mobile phone rather than from PC or laptop. Locals use phones to take part in sports betting (mainly football and kickboxing,) which are extremely popular cambodian games. Naturally, casinos cater to the needs of players and the majority of them furnish them with mobile versions of the most popular games.

Virtually any cambodia casino game can be played from phone. The best part about it are the mobile bonuses - largely no deposit incentives for android and ios users. Not only mobile gaming is rich in bonuses and cash wins, it can soon become a new face of online gambling in cambodia and around the world.

How we selected casino websites for you

To make it clear, we of course should uncover the testing and rating procedures that each website from the list undergoes. There is nothing too complicated, however, the majority of inexperienced gamblers make a mistake by not checking casino sites carefully before putting cash in. Even more so, some tend to ignore the obvious red flags like lack of content or absence of security badges.

We comprise the final rating with consideration of legal characteristics of gambling in cambodia and the usual metrics we use for testing casinos.

1. Security and legality. Before recommending any website, we make sure it has security badges (proofs the data is protected with antivirus and SSL encryption) and license.


2. Whether accepts players from cambodia. Every casino puts a list of restricted countries in its T&cs at the end of the page. If it is enlisted as a restricted one, we do not include it into the list.


3. The number of payment options. A sufficient number of options to choose from is an additional proof of casino’s reliability.


4. The reputation of software provider. We prefer to deal with casinos powered by the most highly esteemed software developers in the field including playtech, microgaming, netent, betsoft.


5. Games. Good casinos have at least 100 games on the website. Some of the most popular ones have 600-700 and even more.

These are the bullet-proof criteria to tell a good gaming place from a bad one. Also, we carefully read each provider’s T&cs, privacy policies and wagering requirements to spot any kind of nonconformities that may be hidden from layman user’s eye. The final thing that we do is depositing real money and try playing any game of choice. Then we record payout speed, requirements for bonuses, duration of withdrawal, and other indicators.

Top 3 land-based casinos in cambodia

If you are in search of adventures and not only online but in real life too, you should get on a plane and visit cambodia. Foreigners love visiting both the capital and far more distant locations. No matter what your preferences are, you will find staying in this country very affordable and, thus, much more opportunistic. One of the best options would be to stay in trendy tourist areas, like koh kong or sihanoukville or simply stay in phnom penh and its biggest naga casino, which will open our list.

1. Nagaworld casino. The biggest and, not by coincidence, the best place for gambling in the whole country. Pompous halls, luxurious hotel rooms and super expensive bar (as compared with prices at ordinary restaurants) are what you gonna see in there. The atmosphere of venture and success will take over you completely. FYI, naga become the first casino in cambodia that was granted a license in 1994.


2. Star vegas international resort & casino. A casino located in a paradise resort poi pet and can boast with >100 table games and about 1,300 of gaming and video poker machines inside. What tourists cannot grudge about having visited this place is the lack of adventures. Staying in a hotel casino star vegas you will always find something to see and to experience apart from gambling. The casino is also in close proximity to siem reap, a very beautiful resort town in chinese style with lots of tourist attractions to see.


3. Golden sea hotel & casino. Located in sihanoukville, the place is almost facing the beach. The gambling facilities are rather conservative, including only electronic blackjack and roulette, and a couple dozen of slot machines. Having spent a night gambling, visitors can relax in a 4-star hotel with fitness, spa, and sauna in it.

Hotels and casinos in cambodia are by no mean low-key or inferior to those of more developed countries. The truth is, foreigners love that they can enter the casino being casually dressed and no one will say a thing about it. The prices are also significantly lower than, for example, in casino hotels of las vegas.

Don’t worry, you do not need to speak khmer (cambodian language), chinese or vietnamese to find your way around in cambodia. In the capital city as well as in all popular resorts, people can speak good english. Since cambodia is tourist-oriented, you will also find many familiar financial services like western union in popular locations. Visiting cambodia is a surprising destination that can bring you innumerable unforgettable memories and experiences. As a case in point, it is also a chance to win good cash in local casinos.

Gambling in cambodia: now and then

Cambodia natives has always been into gambling, it is inherent in their culture. With appearance of the law that prohibits gambling for locals, the whole business did not even think about winding up. On the contrary, the gambling tourism has brought it to the new level - which is reflected on the country’s budget year after year. Online casinos cannot obtain casino license in cambodia yet it may be possible in the near future.

In 2018, independent sources reported that cambodian government is developing legal reforms to simplify the process of partaking in business of gambling for institutional investors. In particular, the reforms would be set out to target taxing of gambling income under 4-5% rate.

If this will have a place to be, cambodia has all chances to outperform philippines and become the new gambling center in south-eastern asia. Today, the visible place in gaming realm is occupied by entertainment and naga world hotel.

The government makes everything possible to attract players from china, indonesia, malaysia, and thailand. What is the best online casino to play in cambodia? We predict even greater development of gambling in cambodia based on the current situation. It especially concerns the online version since the cybersecurity and encryption technologies are becoming more and more versatile. For now, cambodians and especially guests of the country should not miss the amazing possibilities coming along the way with internet gambling.

How wealthy is cambodia in gambling?

Cambodia generates great revenues by taxing casino vendors. In 2015, the amount was $29 000 000, which is a significant improvement if compared with $20 000 000 generated in 2011. Probably, today’s revenues have increased twofold from the previous periods due to the increased tax rates for gambling industry.

Is gambling legal in cambodia?

Gambling in land-based and gambling sites is illegal for citizens of cambodia. Online gambling for natives is also illegal. However, foreigners and residents with dual citizenship can gamble with no restrictions both online and offline.

Is there a casino in siem reap?

Yes, there are several great casino hotels. Some of the most loved by foreigners are grand diamond city hotel & casino and star vegas casino.

What is the best online casino to play in cambodia?

Check the list of the top-rated casinos that accept players from cambodia. Each of them is perfect for playing for real money while staying in cambodia, as a resident or as a tourist. If you are looking for land-based casino, check the top 3 list above.

What is the legal gambling age?

To legally gamble in cambodia, you have to be at least 18 years old and have a foreign (dual) citizenship.

Are my winnings taxable?

No, you get your winnings in full amount. Only revenues of casino owners get taxed and even those are not very great. As mentioned in the text, the government planned on raising tax rates in gambling industry to 4-5%.

Are the top casinos available in khmer language?

No, most likely you will have to navigate through the casino in english. The same, if you will need help from the support, you will most likely have to communicate with them in english.

Best cambodia casinos online

If you want to join an online casino in cambodia, your first step should be to read our expert guide. It will tell you all you need to know, including where to play, how to grab bonuses, why you’ll find more games online and so on.

• Which online casinos in cambodia have the most games


• How you can unlock mega welcome bonuses


• Where to find the most helpful customer support

If you’re raring to go, you can leap right in and join any of our top online casinos for cambodia in 2020 right here:

All casino games

Are cambodia gambling sites safe?

Look around cambodia and you’ll spot upwards of 75 brick-and-mortar casinos, delivering thousands of real money betting options aimed at foreign tourists. That sets the tone for a country where online casino gaming is a big business. And, if you choose the right sites, it is 100% safe.

There are plenty of advantages to playing at online casinos in cambodia, including access to special offers and a wider range of games. It’s easy to see why so many players prefer online casinos in cambodia to land-based ones. By playing at one of the approved casinos which has been reviewed by asiabet, you can enjoy yourself, secure in the knowledge that your funds are safe.

Some players prefer to use a VPN and e-wallet for an even safer experience, though this isn’t a must.

How we rate the best online casinos for cambodia

Our experts don’t simply pick online casinos in cambodia that they have a personal preference towards. Instead, we follow a strict process to rank each casino based on a range of factors. This means our reviews at asiabet are not only informed, but unbiased.

Our team boasts decades of experience in the casino industry. But more than that, we’re fans of casino games ourselves. Players look for certain features in games, and so do we. We don’t just look at things from a ‘business’ perspective, but as personal fans.

Here are three things we look for when we review an online casino in cambodia:

Secure and trustworthy sites

Your number one priority whenever you play at a new online casino in cambodia should be safety. The majority of online casinos are safe, but there are some rotten apples out there. If you accidentally play at an online casino which isn’t 100% trustworthy, your funds could be at risk.

Luckily, you don’t need to take that chance when you play at an asiabet-approved online casino in cambodia. We personally test each and every site, including multiple real money deposits and withdrawals. Not only that, but we analyse the background of each company. For example, we’ll make sure they have a valid gambling licence. We’ll also research the history of the company and seek out player feedback. If anything seems suspicious, we won’t approve the casino.

A good selection of games

With hundreds of software providers and thousands of games, the number of casino titles available is incredible. Some online casinos in cambodia will only make use of one or two games developers. But the best online cambodian casinos make use of multiple providers. What this means is that, by joining just one site, you can take your pick from a bunch of the finest titles in the world, covering everything from online poker games to niche titles.

Online slots make up a large percentage of all online casino games in cambodia, but there’s plenty more out there. Live dealer games such as live roulette and blackjack, classic table games, and specialty titles like keno are just a few examples.

Great customer support

There’s a lot of variance when it comes to customer support at online casinos in cambodia. Two casinos may have similar games and options, but one may have live chat and the other might not. Or, even if they both have live chat, the level of service can differ greatly.

Our experts look for fast, friendly customer help. We purposefully test out the staff with tricky questions they wouldn’t normally receive. This is the ideal way to see how far they’re willing to go to help players. If they impress us, we’ll move that particular casino up the rankings.

How to play at the best cambodia casinos online

If you’re a newcomer to online casinos in cambodia, you might not know how to get started. But the truth is that it’s very easy to set up a new account.

Follow these three steps to create an account and place real money wagers:

• Sign up: follow the link to one of asiabet’s pre-approved online casinos in cambodia.


• Complete your profile: enter your personal details and choose a payment method which suits you.


• Play games: use your new account to choose from hundreds or even thousands of online casino slots and more.

It really is that simple, so click on the banner below to sign up at one of the best online casinos in cambodia!

100% up to 1,300,000 KHR

Easy deposits and withdrawals at casinos in cambodia

When you’re playing online for real money, it’s important that you can make a deposit conveniently. Once upon a time, simply offering credit and debit cards such as visa and mastercard would have been enough. But, these days, players demand more.

Many players from cambodia prefer e-wallets and cryptocurrencies when they’re playing at an online casino. Methods such as truemoney, ly hour pay pro, pi pay, and pay&go are a handful of the most popular options. Perks include reduced processing times and quick, easy access. Because it’s all online, you can easily deposit, withdraw and transfer funds between accounts.

Live casino online in cambodia

If you haven’t tried your hand at online casinos, you might be wondering which is better: online casinos or live casinos in cambodia. Though both have their advantages, many players will tell you that online casinos have a lot more to offer.

There are over 75 brick-and-mortar casinos in cambodia targeted at tourists. Aside from the difficulties of playing there as a local, you can now experience real life casino play from the comfort of your home. Live dealer tables are fairly common at the best online casinos in cambodia. Live roulette, blackjack and baccarat sit among other game types. A live feed from the casino means you can enjoy all the benefits of playing in person – a real life dealer, soaking up the atmosphere – online.

Online casinos frequently run special offers. This could be anything from a no deposit bonus to a bunch of free spins. Compared to the number of promotions found at live casinos, the difference is massive. Essentially, online casinos can provide much better value.

Why play at online casinos in cambodia?

With so many online casinos in cambodia to choose from, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. Here are three of the biggest advantages to playing at an online casino:

• Grab big bonuses: when you join a real-life casino, you may be lucky and get a free chip the first time you walk in. But that tends to be the extent of it. By contrast, the best online casinos in cambodia are packed with exciting bonuses and promotions. From free spins and deposit bonuses to VIP holidays, there are all sorts of top prizes up for grabs.


• Access thousands of games: brick-and-mortar casinos only have so much physical space. This limits the number of games they can fit into the premises. But when you join an online casino in cambodia, there’s much more flexibility to include titles from all kinds of software providers. From a single site, you could potentially play thousands of different games.


• Play any time: online casinos in cambodia are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There’s no dress code and no travelling required – just play any time that suits you, from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Join cambodia’s best online casinos

Now that you know all about online casinos in cambodia, it’s time to give them a go for yourself. Join one of asiabet’s approved sites and help yourself to a mega welcome bonus today!

CASINOS in CAMBODIA - 2020 up-to-date list - casinosavenue

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Château casino bavet

National road no1, bavet commune, - bavet, svay rieng

Crown bavet casino & hotel

Crown casino chrey thum phnom penh

National road 21 kandāl, 00000, phnom penh

Diamond sea hotel & casino sihanoukville

Ekareach street, sangkat 3, 18000 sihanoukville

Dreamworld casino poipet

The dreamworld casino poipet is located in northwestern cambodia, close to the thai border. This establishment is an independent slot machines hall inside the casino poip …

Empire world city casino

Route national 1 poste frontalier de moc bai moc bai bavet

Fortuna casino sihanoukville

Fortuna hotel & casino welcomes you in its establishment located in sihanoukville, in cambodia. The casino is waiting for you with slot and video machines but also table …

2 thnou st, krong preah sihanouk 00000 sihanoukville

Galaxy plaza hotel and casino

Star vegas road banteay meanchey 01407 poipet

Golden crown casino & hotel poipet

Golden crown casino & hotel is located in poipet, cambodia, near the thai border. The casino is about 42,000 square feet and counts more than 70 gaming tables and 100 slo …

National road no. 5 (poipet-aranyaprathet international border), kbal spean village 01407 poipet

Golden sea beach casino & hotel sihanoukville

The golden sea beach hotel & casino is located on victory hill, in front of the beach in sihanoukville, cambodia. The casino owns many slot machines and electronic blackj …

Eakareach street, sangkat3, krong preah sihanouk, - sihanoukville

Good luck9 casino & hotel bavet

Located in bavet, cambodia, the good luck 9 casino & hotel welcomes you in its establishment. Blackjack, baccarat, 3-card poker, dragon vs tiger, bai buu and more are ava …

National road no1, bavet kandal village, - bavet, svay rieng

Grand diamond city casino & hotel poipet

The grand diamond city casino & hotel welcomes you in its establishment, located in poipet, cambodia. The venue’s casino has a wide variety of table games to offer on abo …

Phum kbal spean, khum poipet, banteay meachey providence 01407 poipet

Grand dragon resorts & casino

Chrey thom village, 00000, sampov

Ha tien vegas casino

Welcome to the ha tien vegas casino. The venue is located directly across the vietnam border near the coast. The casino owns about 200 gaming machines, electronic roulett …

Hà tiên, vietnam international border - prek chak, kampot province

Holiday casino palace sihanoukville

Welcome to the holiday palace in sihanoukville, being a beach resort, it benefits of a paradisiac and peaceful environment. Its casino is equipped with about 200 slot mac …

2 thnou street, independence beach, 18000 sihanoukville

Holiday palace casino poipet

Located in poipet, near the thai border, this resort regroups two hotels and two casinos with two different atmospheres. The bigger one being the holiday palace, it offer …

1 &2 kbal spean village, poipet commune O'chrov district, banteay meanchey province, 00000, poipet

Kampong som casino sihanoukville

Kampong som casino welcomes you in sihanoukville in cambodia. The casino has two gaming rooms in which you will find slot machines and table games. The present table game …

Street vithey krong, victory beach, - sihanoukville

Koh kong resort & casino

Koh kong resort is located in the south west of cambodia, along the picturesque beach of koh kong, a coastal area considered as one of the most beautiful seaside resort o …

Phum cham yeam, khum paklong, srok mondul seyma, 9351 koh kong

Las vegas sun casino bavet

The las vegas sun casino & hotel is located in vietnam-cambodia border, in bavet city and welcomes you to live gaming experience. The casino has about 150 slots, with ree …

National rd, no 1 bavet commune, chantrea dist, svay rieng province cambodia - bavet

Le macau casino bavet

Situated in vietnam-cambodia border, in bavet city, le macau casino & hotel welcomes you in its establishment. Le macau casino and hotel is the only casino that has cash …

Bavet, svay rieng 20202 bavet

Lion city poker room sihanoukville

The lion city poker room offers every day texas hold'em and omaha cash games! Three days a week texas hold'em tournaments are held with prizes pool of several thousand do …

Ochheuteal street 18000 sihanoukville

Nagaworld casino & hotel phnom penh

Between the field of mekong and tonle sap river is located the nagaworld, the sublime hotel born in a city rich on khmer history. According to legend, nagaworld is a sanc …

Pailin diamond crown club

Phsar prum, sangkat steung kach | khan sala krao, - pailin

Pailin flamingo casino hotel & entertainment complex

The pailin flamingo casino is located between the pailin province in cambodia and chantaburi in thailand. Opened in 2000, this casino offers in a modern setting slots, ba …

National hwy 57 00000 pailin

Poipet genting crown casino

National road no5, kbal spean village, -, poipet

Located in southeast asia, cambodia is located between thailand to the west, laos to the north and vietnam to the east. The capital of the country is phnom penh and the registered population is more than 15 million.

There is a large number of casino on the territory of cambodia. This number is partly explained by the gambling prohibition in thailand. That is why the city of poipet, a crossing point between the two countries, owns 8 casinos. The other major casinos in the country are sihanoukville queenco casino, koh kong casino & resort, casino pailin entertainment complex or phnom penh nagaworld casino. The last named is impressive and very modern.

Cambodia is mainly covered with plains or plateaus composed by forests and savannas. Historically influenced by various dynasties, cambodia has exceptional vestiges dating from the angkorian period (from 800 to the 15th century). Today, many tourists who came to discover the temples, monuments and statues from this rich era visit the site of angkor wat.

Cambodian forests and jungles can be visited thanks to guided excursions. Unique landscapes of waterfalls, tall trees and rivers follow each other. In sihanoukville, sandy beaches allow to enjoy the rays of the sun and to refresh. The most popular ones remain otres beach and independance beach. Various activities are offered such as cruises, boat rentals or scuba diving.

CAMBODIA'S
CASINO
GAMBLE

A dead body is tossed out of a car in broad daylight.

As panicked bystanders flee, the car slowly drives off.

The victim was reportedly a loan shark operating in the casinos of sihanoukville.

Once a quiet tourist town on the coast of cambodia, sihanoukville has been transformed into a chinese gaming empire to rival macau.

Вђњitвђ™s scary,вђќ says phay siphan, the spokesman for cambodiaвђ™s cabinet.

Вђњsometimes they kill those people. Sometimes they brutally treat those people. Cambodians donвђ™t want to see that.Вђќ

More than 100 casinos are planned for sihanoukville, with most already open to punters.

The density of casinos in sihanoukville is higher than the las vegas strip.

"it's positioning to be the las vegas of the east.

Provincial authorities say more than 90 per cent of businesses in the city are now chinese-owned.

"it's positioning to be the las vegas of the east,вђќ says wang zhilang, a chinese real estate broker in sihanoukville.

Вђњthere are many who get rich overnight, so that attracts many chinese investors here.Вђќ

Gaming consultant ben lee estimates more than 300,000 chinese nationals have moved to the cambodian city.

He says local authorities have not kept up with the rise in crime and rampant development.

Вђњthe rapid growth in sihanoukville has resulted in basically a void in terms of police enforcement,вђќ he says.

Вђњyou have building codes that have not been adhered to, you have crimes that are basically unmonitored and unpoliced. You have scores of incidents to do with chinese gangsters, kidnapping, robbing and perpetrating crimes of various sorts.Вђќ

Chinese nationals have been arrested at cambodian airports with suitcases stuffed full of millions of dollars in cash in several cases in the past year.

The united nations office on drugs and crime has warned that the proliferation of casino licences has coincided with a surge in crime.

Casinos now dominate the sihanoukville skyline, but much of the money driving this explosion in construction comes from further afield, thanks to live online gaming.

Gambling is illegal in mainland china. But insiders say many are violating this law by betting online through cambodian casinos.

At WM casino, rows of young women deal cards for livestream audiences around the world.

A few gamblers toss chips across the surrounding tables, but most of this casinoвђ™s clients are elsewhere.

The casino insists its operations are legal, but industry experts and government officials say mainland chinese gamblers are the prime market for live online betting.

"this is the wild west, my friend.

Вђњthey are the number one user, [just] as cambodia's currently the number one exporter,вђќ says marc mclay, a canadian gaming promoter known as jonny ferrari who sold online gambling software here.

Вђњthis is the wild west, my friend. There are perhaps some regulations, but theyвђ™re not being enforced. Money talks, thatвђ™s all it is,вђќ he says.

Ben lee, managing partner at igamix management and consulting, estimates up to 80 per cent of gaming revenue in sihanoukville now comes from online gambling targeting mainland chinese.

Вђњonce they got hooked, [online syndicates] would then perpetrate all sorts of scams, including in some cases downright fraud and manipulation of the gaming results.Вђќ

These scams, known as вђњkilling pigsвђќ, involve teams that work out of makeshift call centres and online chat rooms to target potential victims in china.

"вђ˜killing pigs" means you raise the pig and then kill it,вђќ says real estate broker wang zhilang.

Scammers pose as young women to entice men into online relationships, gradually luring them to gaming sites.

Вђњthey will tempt you to start with winning a small amount of money. Once you increase your investment, they will hack into your account and you can't withdraw the money you've won,вђќ wang says.

Vast numbers of young chinese recruited to perpetrate these scams often become victims themselves, according to wang.

Вђњwhen they arrive, their passports are confiscated and they are kept here for six months before they can leave,вђќ he says.

As the syndicates have grown more audacious, beijing is taking action.

In august, chinese police flew to cambodia to extradite 150 chinese nationals who were allegedly part of online extortion rings.

That same month, cambodian prime minister hun sen announced his government would outlaw online gaming by december 2019.

Despite the crackdown, notorious triad figures are still moving in.

Among them is one of macauвђ™s most feared men, broken tooth koi, who served 14 years in prison for gangland crimes including leading the notorious 14K triad.

But when broken tooth - whose real name is wan kuok-koi - launched a new gaming crypto currency in phnom penh last year, some of cambodiaвђ™s top brass were there to welcome him.

Another figure accused of connections to the 14K triad, alvin chau, is quickly becoming one of the most powerful figures in cambodiaвђ™s gaming market.

Chau is the founder and chief executive of suncity, a major macau gaming company, that is jointly developing sihanoukvilleвђ™s biggest casino.

Chinese state media has accused suncity of raking in billions of dollars from online gaming operations based in cambodia and the philippines that illegally targeted mainland chinese punters.

Chau denies any wrongdoing.

A confidential 2018 investigation into suncity by the hong kong jockey club raised serious alarms about the connections between suncity executives and organised crime.

Chau declined to be interviewed by al jazeera.

Cabinet spokesman phay siphan says cambodiaвђ™s government has taken steps to stop chinese underworld figures co-opting senior officials.

Вђњwe are afraid of the mafia. Weвђ™re afraid of them colluding with the [military] officers. As well as the government members involved with that area,вђќ he says.

But his governmentвђ™s attempts to curb such allegiances donвђ™t appear to be working.

In october, broken tooth koi was back to launch another business - this time a beer company.

Once again, he was flanked by cambodian government officials.

Cambodian sports betting

If you’re looking for sports betting in cambodia, you’re in the right place. Our established team of sports betting experts are here to share their secrets with you. Read on to learn all about the best sites for online betting in cambodia.

• How to create an online betting account


• Which sites have the best odds on football, rugby and more


• Where to snag the biggest bonuses

If you’re ready to start betting now, try any of these top cambodian sports betting sites for 2020:

Is online betting legal in cambodia?

Online gambling is legal in cambodia, as is visiting any of the 75+ brick-and-mortar casinos in the country. Tourists can enjoy all of these facilities legally and easily. If you’re a local, the rules are a bit different.

From our experience, online sports betting in cambodia is not very problematic. The fact that tourists and foreigners can gamble at will makes it very difficult for the authorities to figure out where online gambling activity is coming from. It’s no surprise that many cambodian players frequently place bets online.

Cambodia has a rich history of gambling. In fact, you can even bet on when it will rain in a local game known as chak teuk phliang!

How we rate the best cambodia betting sites

Because cambodia and gambling go hand in hand, there are tonnes of options for you if you’re looking for sports betting in cambodia. But how do you know which sites to trust?

Luckily, we’ve done the research for you. Our crack team of experts have decades of experience in the sportsbook and casino industries. Specifically, we focus on online sports betting in cambodia. So, unlike generic reviews, you know that you can enjoy our sites while living in cambodia.

Our team follow a set routine when we review each cambodia sportsbetting site. Here’s a breakdown of our process:

Secure and trustworthy sites

Nothing is more important to us than keeping your funds safe. We perform a deep inspection of every single sports betting site in cambodia which we review.

Some might be satisfied when they see a sports betting site has a valid gambling licence, but that’s not enough for us. We’ll run a background check which informs us if the company has a shady background. We combine this with player reviews and several other checks to paint a full picture of the bookmakers. If we like what we see, we’ll post our cambodian sportsbook review online.

A huge selection of sports and markets

We already mentioned some of the unique kinds of betting you’ll find in cambodia – like betting on rainfall – which shows you that cambodian players have a real appetite for interesting bets. Because of this, we’ll always rank cambodian betting sites higher up our rankings if they cover a wide number of sports.

We’ll place some real money wagers on sports to check out the types of markets you’ll find, whether that’s an asian handicap bet, under/over, or outright winner.

Wide range of betting types

There are many different ways to place bets at online sports betting sites in cambodia, including pre-match and in-play wagers. In-play bets allow you to bet on the action as it happens, which is great fun if you’re watching the match live.

Some sites only have a limited selection of markets for each match, while others boast hundreds of options. We favour cambodian betting sites with a wide array of different markets to help keep things fresh.

Best sports betting odds in cambodia

One of the fundamental aspects of any cambodian betting site is its odds. Our experts hunt down online gambling sites in cambodia which consistently deliver the most competitive odds. This ensures you’re not short-changed when you back a winner.

Online football betting in cambodia

Whether you speak english, german or khmer, football is a massively popular sport all over the world. Watch the angkor warriors in the latest world cup qualifier or check out the likes of phnom penh crown in the C-league, and you’ll see the passion for football in this country is endless.

There are plenty of different football leagues and competitions to bet on, whether you’re placing your real money wager pre-match or in-play.

Here are some of the football competitions you can place bets on in cambodia:

C-league: place wagers on cambodia’s local league, such as the season’s winner or individual match betting. This could cover anything from the first goal scorer to correct score and number of corners.

English premier league (EPL): bet on top teams like manchester united, liverpool and manchester city in one of the world’s most popular and competitive leagues. Combine bets on multiple matches in an accumulator for a chance to win big from a small bet.

World cup: held every four years, the world cup is the biggest competition in football. With just a handful of games taking place in the finals, it’s a great opportunity to back a dark horse as the competition’s top scorer.

Euros: also taking place once every four years, the euros are like a mini world cup but only for european nations. Just like the world cup, teams only need to win a few games in the finals to become champions. Outsiders like denmark (1992) and greece (2004) have emerged as surprise winners – so don’t be afraid to bet on a nation who aren’t favourites.

Once you’ve had your fill of football bets, you can place a wager on basketball, cricket, rugby, and any number of alternative sports.

Cambodia betting bonuses, free bets and promos

We mentioned earlier that online sports betting in cambodia is legal for tourists, which means there are plenty of sites catering to those of you based in cambodia. You should have no problems signing up at any of our approved cambodian betting sites. And, when you do sign up, you’ll usually be in for a treat.

The vast majority of sports betting sites in cambodia will reward you with a juicy welcome bonus package which can include a no deposit bonus to get you started, followed by a percentage-based deposit bonus when you top up using real funds.

As well as this, regular customers at the top cambodian betting sites will be treated to freebies on an ongoing basis. For instance, you may be entitled to a free bet. Or you might enter a competition where you could win tickets to a live event.

To get an idea of what we’re talking about, join the cambodian sports betting site below to access a bumper welcome bonus:

100% up to 1,300,000 KHR

Top banking methods at cambodia betting sites

Making easy deposits is an important part of any cambodian betting site. It makes the experience much more enjoyable for you. And, in some circumstances, a quick deposit can be the difference between getting your bet in on time and missing out.

Our experts make real money deposits at every cambodian sports betting site we review. Often, the payment methods will include credit and debit cards. But we’ll give higher rankings to sites which offer amazon pre-paid vouchers, cryptocurrency, and e-wallets like truemoney, ly hour pay pro, pi pay, and pay&go. These methods make it easier to top up your funds quickly, without necessarily linking your personal details to the payment. It’s ideal for players in cambodia.

How to place bets at an online sportsbook in cambodia

If you’re an online betting rookie, we have good news – there’s really not much to it. Follow our three-step guide and you’ll be making real money wagers in no time!

• Select a site: choose any of the cambodian betting sites reviewed by asiabet.


• Enter your details: fill in your name, email address and payment details.


• Place your bets: make real money bets using your funds, then enjoy the action!

Most popular sports at cambodia betting sites

There are plenty of sports fans in cambodia, which means the best cambodian betting sites are packed with various markets and sports. If you can’t decide where to start, try any of these popular choices:

• Football (soccer): wherever you go in cambodia, the fans’ appetite for football is huge. This is reflected in the wide number of cups and leagues which are included at the top sports betting sites in cambodia. Bet on the english premier league (EPL), C-league and others.


• Cricket: easily place wagers on all types of international cricket competitions like the ICC cricket world cup and indian cricket league (ICL), plus a few which are closer to home.


• Basketball: NBA markets can be seen at most cambodian betting sites, but you’ll also spot action on the cambodian national basketball team and the CBL.


• Kun khmer (pradal serey): if you’re in the mood for adrenaline-fueled action, log in and place your bets on kun khmer. Literally translating as ‘free fighting’, this unique sport sees competitors bring their kickboxing skills to a six-metre boxing ring for five rounds.


• E-sports: although it’s not a traditional sport like kun khmer, e-sports is increasingly available at the best online sports betting sites in cambodia. Place real money wagers on video game experts as they lock horns, then watch the action via live stream!

Bet at the top online bookmakers in cambodia

Now that you’re up to speed, it’s time for you to check out the top sports betting sites in cambodia first-hand. Choose from any of our expert-approved cambodian betting sites and scoop a huge welcome bonus right now!

Online casinos accepting players from cambodia

The kingdom of cambodia is populated by over 15 million people. Although illegal, citizens gamble at a high rate of participation, mostly among men. Perhaps as much as in other nearby asian countries including neighbors thailand, laos, and vietnam, gambling is seen by many as a uniquely male pastime and proof of masculinity.

Online and land-based gambling has officially been illegal for the citizenry since the 1996 law on suppression of gambling came into effect - soon after the country's largest foreigners-only casino opened in the capital city of phnom penh. Citizens enjoyed slots up until 2006 when violent disputes over gambling debts and control of the revenues forced the government to ban machine gambling as well.

Nagaworld is the center of gambling in phnom penh. It is owned and operated by hong kong-listed and malaysia-based nagacorp under the auspices of a 70-year license that won't expire until 2065. The company also owns a monopoly on casino development within 200 km of the capital until 2035. The areas excepted from the tender are bokor, the kirirom mountains, sihanoukville and along the vietnamese border.

The 1996 law made online and land-based gambling illegal for citizens but there are reports of locals flocking into many of the more than fifty operating casinos at shift change time. There is also a prolific underground gambling market.

People of prominence don't usually frequent the underground gambling halls as corruption is rampant in the country and they have access to VIP rooms without fear of reprisal or consequence of their crimes. Civil and criminal penalties are included in the gambling law.

Top 8 cambodian casinos

Online casino licenses in cambodia

The government allowed an online site called cambo six to offer football betting from 2002 until 2006 before terminating the firm's license.

It wasn't until 2015 that the government again allowed three existing terrestrial casinos to offer online casino games to non-citizens. Unsurprisingly, two of the three gambling venues were owned by tycoon senator, ly yong phat's LYP group LTD.

Koh kong resort and O’smach casino in oddar meanchey province launched websites that were heavily trafficked by chinese citizens.

In august 2019 under heavy pressure from china, the government announced that no new online licenses would be issued and no existing licenses would be renewed when they came up for recertification in 2020.

Within a month there were grumblings and murmurs of it becoming a temporary ban with division among government officials on the country's official stance, as can be seen in this article in the nikkei asian review.

Various news reports estimated that from 12,000 to 120,000 chinese nationals exited the country in the weeks following the announcement in what has been coined, "The great chinese exodus of 2019".

It's unclear what happened to all of the online casino workers in the country when they arrived back home in china, but more than 200 were arrested in two separate raids in cambodia before they scattered.

Licensed online casinos in cambodia

Whether or not the government continues to please china and cite "moral decline" as a reason to close up shop on internet casinos operating in the country, cambodians who choose to flout the law will still have plenty of opportunities to play online at licensed casinos.

The government of the philippines controls the nearest and most conducive online casino licensing jurisdiction.

After initially announcing they would stop issuing offshore gambling licenses [philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) licenses through the philippine amusement and gaming corporation (PAGCOR)], president duetarte decided to stand up to beijing and continue offering licensed online casino gambling.

As of this writing, it is unclear what the cost of that decision may be, and it could simply be a bargaining chip. The economic cost of canceling existing licenses would be high as well with ABS-CBN news reporting that as of late august 2019 there were 60 online licenses with 48 of those being operational.

Within weeks of meeting with the chinese president, the philippines decided to continue offering online services -what this means is that gamblers in cambodia still have asia-friendly sites to visit.

Recall, it is only legal to play online within the borders of the country if you are a foreign national traveling through or living in cambodia. You must possess a foreign passport.

In some countries where no specific law is codified regarding online casinos, it can be said that it is a gray area of the law. In cambodia, we believe otherwise as operators, as well as online players, have been arrested and prosecuted.

In addition to case law showing that the government is serious about the suppression of gambling, the actual decree leaves little doubt. It canceled all existing licenses and stated: "gambling of all kinds, in all places throughout the whole kingdom of cambodia shall be strictly prohibited, except those permitted by the royal government."

While servers may be located offshore, it is the act of gambling here that is defined. Fines and criminal punishments are lined out. The law goes so far as to state that any administrator (aside from the royal government) who grants a license will be subject to a prison term of 1-5 years.

Nothing "gray" about any of that.

The future of gambling in cambodia

We have not seen any indication that the government intends to let the citizenry into online or terrestrial casinos any time soon. Of course, that never has and never will stop cambodians from gambling.

A draft gambling bill has been crafted and has worked its way through various processes on its way to becoming law someday. The bill defines three areas where gambling would be:

1. Prohibited


2. Allowed with restrictions


3. Promoted (resort areas)

While there is currently prohibitive law, there is no legal framework for regulation in the country. Backers of the law on the management of integrated resorts and commercial gambling hope to change that.

Proactive people within the government want the law passed as soon as possible to make sure the industry develops properly. Stricter measures may need to be written into the bill as shown by some broad statistics that came to light in the summer of 2019.

In june 2019 there were over 160 casino licenses granted, yet just 51 of them were active in use.

In july 2019 gambling compliance (paywall) was reporting that sihanoukville police claimed that 90% of all businesses and three-quarters of the casinos in the bustling seaside city were controlled by chinese investors.

Law on the management of integrated resorts and commercial gambling (LMIRCG)

The new law comprises 97 articles in 12 chapters. It has already gone through the ministries of interior and of finance and is under review by the council of jurists of the council of ministers.

The regulatory body, as envisioned, would consist of ministers from 7 departments of government and be

known as the integrated resorts management and commercial gambling committee (GMC).

To stay abreast of developments in cambodian gambling law, please see world casino news - cambodia

Online casino games in cambodia

Players located in the kingdom have access to all of the same great content people anywhere else can play. We're not aware of any providers who have left the market due to expiring licenses or other legal considerations.

Licensed sites offer a whole litany of casino games and slots from providers such as playtech, SA gaming, asia gaming, bbin, mrslotty, ALT, allbet, microgaming and more.

Most online casinos accepting players from cambodia also offer live dealer games and some offer nothing but live dealer streams.

A common line-up you may find would include the following:

• Live casino
  


• Sportsbook


• Slots


• Keno


• Lottery


• Mobile

Android and ios apps are available at many sites. However, HTML5 browser-based games don't need any special software or apps to load and play. If the casino offers apps they will usually also provide a step by step guide to installation and use for your particular operating system.

The casino potential of cambodia, both online and offline

The casino potential of cambodia, both online and offline

Cambodia has the potential to set the blueprint for regulated online gaming in asia, says mediatech solutions’ head of asia-pacific tom moester

Tom moester is mediatech solutions’ head of asia pacific, where he is responsible for the growth of the provider’s gaming platform in land-based, online and omni-channel gaming operations, as well as its consulting activities across the region.

Tom previously held positions in the dutch ministry of finance and strategic consultancy, and has vast experience in government regulation and business development.

When you think of the asian gambling industry, you think of the bright lights and towering casino resorts of macau. And while china is certainly the largest gambling market in the region, other jurisdictions are starting to come to the fore with new opportunities for operators and suppliers looking to enter the fray, particularly online.

In recent months, cambodia has emerged as an area of interest after the ministry of economy and finance, which regulates the gambling industry, dished out ten new casino resort licenses with the majority set to be built in the port town of sihanoukville.

The new permits will take the total number of licensed gambling operators in cambodia to 75, with those currently up and running focussing their business on phnom penh, the country’s capital city. The licences cover around 7,660 slots machines and 2,600 table games across the region with the industry showing signs of growth – in 2013, casino and gambling taxes totalled USD$22m but last year the amount increased to $34m.

The new licences provide an opportunity for those looking to get in on the action – so long as they understand the gaming industry in cambodia and how it works.

Enter the power player

Every region has a power player, and cambodia is no different. The nagacorp has been granted a monopoly licence to operate casinos within a 200km radius of phnom penh until 2035. The firm is the largest hotel, gaming and leisure operator in cambodia, and is the country’s only publicly listed company – it’s shares began trading on the hong kong stock exchange back in 2007.

It’s clear, then, that nagacorp has a stranglehold on the immediate region surrounding the capital – particularly via its flagship nagaworld integrated resort with consistently strong results – but opportunities still exist across the country.

Most of the other casinos are located around the towns of poipet and pailin, which sit along the border with thailand, and bavet, close to the vietnam border. But the area getting the most attention of late is sihanoukville, with major plans to turn it into a gambling centre. One developer – malaysia-based SV international – plans to “bulk acquire every potential development lot” as it looks to turn the town into the “macau of southeast asia”. Investment in hotels and casinos continues to pour into the town, particularly from china.

Many of the casinos in sihanoukville offer online gambling options to chinese customers looking to skirt the mainland’s ban on egaming. Online gambling has recently been allowed in cambodia but the authorities require the sites to operate under a bricks-and-mortar casino licence and, in line with bricks-and-mortar policies, it is not open to cambodians. While cambodia has started to legalise and regulate the activity, a solid, consistent and reliable framework has yet to be achieved. Such framework is essential, because modern casino operators need an online proposition to offer an omni-channel experience to their players, a 360-degree product that allows customers to engage with the casino wherever they are, whenever they want to play.

In my opinion, however, a sustainable regulatory framework and egaming market could be just around the corner in cambodia.

Gaming regulations are currently being revised and modernised, and it is understood this will include further opening up the online gambling sector. After this framework is finalised it presents a fantastic opportunity to build omni-channel offerings. Earlier this year we joined forces with global gaming network to help deliver our omni-channel offering to casino operators in the country.

Cambodia has the potential to set the blueprint for online gambling in asia – the requirement for operators to partner with land-based casinos is the same model being used successfully in new jersey – and in doing so build a successful egaming market in its own right.

It’s early days, of course, but that’s why the opportunity for european and US operators is so interesting. Their experience and expertise is just what cambodia needs right now, and for those willing to take the plunge, the rewards will be there.

Cambodia bans online gambling over public order concerns

Cambodia is moving to ban online gambling, an industry that attracted a wave of chinese investment in land-based casinos around the country, citing public safety and threat to social order concerns as the reasons for its decision.

According to cambodian lawmakers, the online gambling sector has been used by foreign criminals to extort money and conduct other criminal activities.

Cambodia has become a popular hub for gambling, with multiple chinese investors opening casinos around the country in recent years. The southern coastal city of sihanoukville has been particularly attractive for casino investment, with dozens of casinos having sprung up there.

Most of the land-based casinos both in sihanoukville and the rest of the country also have online gambling operations. These are usually intended for gamblers from mainland china.

Cambodian prime minister hun sen signed on sunday a directive that aims to crack down on all online gambling operations conducted on the territory of the country. The directive read that “the royal government of cambodia will stop the issuance of online gambling policy and licenses, both within and outside of the kingdom of cambodia.” existing licenses will not be terminated, but they will not be renewed when they expire, it also became known.

China has been a close ally of cambodia, and its biggest investor. It too has been trying to clamp down on remote gambling. It recently criticized the philippines for its booming offshore gambling industry. Under the POGO (philippine offshore gaming operators) program, the country issues online gambling licenses to companies that are based in the philippines but provide their services to customers based outside the country.

Cambodia’s online gambling crackdown

Cambodia issues online gambling licenses under a regulatory system similar to the philippine one. Under the country’s regulations, residents are not allowed to engage in those licensed operations.

While cambodia’s licensing system has clearly drawn quite some interest from investors, it has also apparently become popular with criminals.

The sunday directive read that “some foreign criminals have taken refuge in the form of [online] gambling to cheat and extort money from victims, domestic and abroad.” this has affected security, public and social order, as pointed out by cambodian lawmakers.

News about the new directive emerged just days after the sihanoukville police arrested more than 120 chinese nationals who were allegedly running an illegal online gambling and extortion ring in the city. The operation was conducted jointly by local police and chinese authorities.

Last week, the information technology department at cambodia’s interior ministry issued a warning to online gamblers that by opening accounts with offshore operators, they were exposing themselves to potential hacking and phishing attacks.

In a statement, the interior department said that the number of online gamblers in the country has increased dramatically in recent years and that authorities are looking into ways to address the issue and to also crack down phishing schemes that use gambling websites.

Koem sereyvuth, deputy director of the interior ministry’s IT department, told local media that phishing is an advanced tech crime that “our police are incapable of addressing right now” but that they will continue to learn how to cope with it.

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Cambodia casinos not complying with online gambling ban

February 20, 2020 february 20, 2020

Casinos allegedly violating rules

Despite online gambling platforms becoming illegal in cambodia from january 1, 2020, a number of major local casinos are allegedly violating the rules.

A significant level of upheaval in the gambling capital of cambodia

The south china morning post reported a significant level of upheaval in the gambling capital of cambodia, sihanoukville, since the ban came into effect.

It alleged that certain casinos still have active online gambling sites. Gobo east casino and WM casino, both located in sihanoukville, were among the names mentioned.

Chinese newspaper investigates the matter

The chinese newspaper spoke with a WM casino floor manager about the live dealer tables at the facility, where croupiers appear actively smiling at webcams. The floor manager said the dealers only cater to gamblers that are sitting in other parts of the casino and gambling through a closed-circuit network.

Moreover, a video that premiered on the official WM casino youtube channel on january 29 features female webcam dealers and digital channels used to access online gambling offerings.

An issue going forward

Cambodia has come under the spotlight following the report that notable casinos in the country are apparently still operating online gambling sites. The onus is now on the local authorities to bring gambling businesses in line with current regulations.

Casinos in the region that complied with the gambling site shutdown order have been struggling to be profitable

Many casinos in the region that complied with the gambling site shutdown order have been struggling to be profitable, now they no longer have online gambling as a revenue source.

Reason for the shutdown

The reason china called for the shutdown of online gambling sites in nations such as cambodia was that a large portion of these platforms targeted residents in mainland china. Gambling is illegal in the country, except on the island of macau.

Cambodia complied with the request. In response, the chinese authorities made certain financial support pledges to help major cambodian regions that would be affected by the closure of these gambling sites.

The philippines was also ordered to cease its online gambling operations. The government, however, refused to put a stop to what it considers a lucrative source of revenue for the nation.

Boom to bust for cambodia’s chinese casino town

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Historians may trace the decline of online gambling in asia to a bricks and mortar failure.

The june 22 building site collapse in sihanoukville that left 28 construction workers dead and 26 more injured brought unwelcome attention to a chinese investment tsunami in the once placid cambodian seaside resort.

Online gambling ranks high among seismic forces propelling that massive wave of funds into cambodia, and it’s one authorities have chosen to confront.

The building collapse led to the arrests of five chinese nationals including the owner, adding to china’s unease over an estimated hundreds of billions of yuan flowing out of the country via cross-border online gambling.

Until then, beijing had been comfortable allowing online operations to continue as part of private investment supporting its belt and road initiative (BRI) in cambodia.

If the situation got out of hand, cambodian authorities allowed chinese law enforcement to fly in, take suspects into custody and then fly them back to china. But by august this year, even regular raids left beijing believing more had to be done.

“beijing has definitely flexed its muscle regarding operators that face the china market. They really put their foot down,” footballbet.Com chairman and CEO david leppo, who runs sports betting in cambodia, says.

“china has invested billions of dollars in cambodia. The chinese government said it would stop investments unless [cambodian authorities] stop online casinos.”

On august 18, prime minister hun sen’s government announced it would not grant new licenses for online gambling nor renew current licenses, all of which are due to expire on december 31.

The announcement stunned dozens of operators and the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of online gambling workers across cambodia. Radio free asia reported in september that at least 6,000 chinese nationals left sihanoukville every day in the first two weeks after the ban was announced for a total of 120,000 departures.

At the mekong gaming summit in phnom penh, gaming operators, investors and analysts repeatedly but ultimately futilely implored a finance ministry official to admit the government was not serious about the ban.

Leveraging sihanoukville’s japanese-developed deep water port, beijing’s BRI has committed billions of dollars to develop offshore oil, an industrial park for chinese manufacturers and infrastructure, most notably a US$2 billion highway linking the port to the capital phnom penh. When completed early next decade, the highway will cut the journey to less than four hours.

Private money has opened dozens of new hotels and casinos, and hundreds of significant buildings have begun construction in the seaside city.

However, many projects have been mothballed or slowed construction since the online ban was announced. Long-term investors envision sihanoukville as a casino and beach resort drawing customers from across southeast asia, china and phnom penh, particularly its burgeoning chinese expatriate community.

Cambodia has long been drafting a gaming law, expected to raise tax rates that rank among the lowest in the region and expand government oversight of an industry with annual turnover amounting to billions of US dollars.

For several years, gaming law approval has been characterized as imminent, and it still is. At the same time, the government continues to issue new gaming licenses, adding to the largest number of authorized casinos in asia, with minimal benefit to state coffers and little licensee obligation to host communities.

Through december 31 this year, a casino those licenses include the opportunity to operate online gambling within the casino premises.

In many of sihanoukville’s estimated 100 casinos, female dealers can be seen at tables with no players in cordoned off areas, presiding over baccarat and other games, often with a phone number on display to call to verify via on-screen pickup that the gambling action is live.

Gaming experts and industry sources believe 90% of the online betting comes from mainland china, where gambling of any kind is illegal. The business is a perfect fit for a boom town like sihanoukville.

Behind the attractive dealers on the casino floor are thousands of marketing agents, mainly from china. Up to 300,000 chinese workers were in cambodia, a large percentage of them in sihanoukville, before the online gaming ban announcement set off an exodus.

Those thousands of workers provided customers to stay in hotels – many chinese enter cambodia on 30-day visas – eat in restaurants and play in casinos, where chinese and indochinese share an affinity for a card game known locally as niu niu, or beat the landlord in china.

Chinese workers have beaten a retreat from sihanoukville in their tens of thousands since the online ban was announced. But the consequences for sihanoukville’s boom won’t disappear as easily as chinese workers.

During this year’s rainy season, sihanoukville was plagued by floods because so much open land had been covered in concrete, meaning rainwater had nowhere to drain.

Even around the city’s central golden lion square, flooding plus traffic from cement trucks and other heavy vehicles have left roads broken and barely navigable.

The congestion has made basic services such as trash collection harder to execute. Hotels have been cited for discharging raw sewage onto the beaches and into the sea that are supposed to be the region’s prime attraction.

“belt and road at its worst” is how one casino executive describes sihanoukville today.

As sikhanoukville’s population doubled over the past decade to an estimated 160,000, with perhaps an additional equal number of chinese expats in residence, housing prices have soared. Even with the recent exodus, the market hasn’t returned to normal.

M’lop tapang, a local nongovernmental organization (NGO) involved in children’s and family services, says the property boom has pushed many poor cambodians to the fringes of town or onto beaches, living in shelters made from discarded doors and other debris without access to clean water and other basic services.

Sihanoukville’s overriding issue has been a lack of planning and infrastructure. “we never get a sense of what will happen when it’s all built,” says roth chanphalkun M’lop tapang’s co-director.

She now wonders what will happen to the thousands of cambodian migrants when sihanoukville’s construction work slows. She gives newly appointed governor kouch chamroeun high marks for transparency, safety inspections of construction sites and trying to improve service delivery.

“for the last 15 years, we had slow but smooth growth. None of us were prepared for the changes over the last two-and-a-half years. It was way too fast for us,” says chanphalkun.

From 33,088 international arrivals at sihanoukville’s kong keng airport in 2016, arrivals surged to 233,547 in 2018. At the same time, few want to return to the city’s somnolent past.

“I was in sihanoukville filming angkor awakens before the massive influx of chinese and I was hardly overwhelmed,” says director and producer robert lieberman, whose documentary features a rare interview with hun sen.

“the city felt rather dumpy and the waterfront was a line of shabby honky tonk bars filled with backpackers and college age white kids drinking.”

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