SEAsiaReview:Cambodia SEAsiaReview:Cambodia
permits for Thais without a passport or a Thailand’sBangkok holders are Intercity Group, a Korean
week long border pass for passport holder istheregionalhub construction, architecture and investment
with a Cambodian visa. wheretouristscan business group which was set up in 1994.
enterCambodia.
The one kilometre gambling strip comes Some1,500 The company has a business presence in
complete with luxury hotels, shopping passengerscometo Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and UAE
centres, brothels and Cambodiathrough and is headed by founder and CEO
Bangkokeveryday Hyung-Joo Kim.
essentially it’s a gambling no-man’s land makingup30per
ideal for the players and also the workers centofalldailyentry The opening ceremony wad held in
who kind of operate in a tax free, no ofvisitorsintothe August this year and building will begin
work permit haven. country.During in October. The first phase will include
stabletimesthere three hotels, golf course, water park,
Poipet is about four hours drive from were10-12flights shopping malls, casino, ballroom, spa and
Bangkok and now has eight casinos shuttlingbetween botanical gardens due to be completed by
featuring blackjack, baccarat, roulette and northerntourist March 2011. The casino is expected to
slot rooms plus the popular VIP lounges. townSiemReap,the house 1,000 slots and 300 gaming tables.
They have a combined income of more capitalPhnomPenh Once the resort is open Siem Reap could
than US$12.5m. Some 90 per cent of the andBangkok.Butthe attract some three million visitors from
gamblers are Thai and even the currency crisisinThailandhas 2011.
accepted is the Baht. stoppedthisboom.
It is thought that the new resort will pay
Since then other border towns like Bavet a similar flat fee tax of around one to 1.5
on the Vietnamese border have followed per cent of annual gross revenues like
suit and is now home to the Le Macau Naga World which makes Cambodia a
Casino and Hotel. more attractive destination for junket
operators with a high commission rate
Back in 2003 two major border passes possible.
with Thailand were closed by the
Cambodian government in retaliation Meanwhile on the downside the
against Bangkok barring Thai’s from Cambodian government has been
crossing into Thailand following anti-Thai clamping down on other forms of
rioting in Phnom Penh at the Thai gambling in a bid to “make social reform,
embassy. strengthen public order and improve
social morality.”
The dispute was finally settled when
Bangkok had demanded compensation The Prime Minister Hun Sen says that
and as Phnom Penh couldn’t pay two gambling games are a source of problems
Poipet gambling tycoons covered the bill. in the country and generate disputes,
domestic violence and petty crime.
Thailand’s Bangkok is the regional hub
where tourists can enter Cambodia. Some Despite bringing in around US$20m of
1,500 passengers come to Cambodia revenue in 2008 the government also
through Bangkok everyday making up 30 claims the gambling sector brings in little
per cent of all daily entry of visitors into revenue.
the country. During stable times there
were 10-12 flights shuttling between In reality however it seems that police
northern tourist town Siem Reap, the chief Hok Lundy used his position to
capital Phnom Penh and Bangkok. But collect money from gambling operations
the crisis in Thailand has stopped this which was then distributed among his
boom. officers. When Lundy died in a helicopter
accident in November last year the money
Meanwhile there have always been stopped leaving some unhappy officers
questions over the ownership of the who then began to issue spot fines which
casinos and how the land was acquired And although real business is the high UPSANDDOWNS Sihanoukville is already expanding its Anewresortisbeing will attract players from nearby Thailand in turn led to locals becoming very
for the developments. There is also roller industry the locals do like to play. There is some new development news in local airport to cater for international plannedfora265 and Vietnam. restless.
concern over where the money from the However there is a big problem gambling Cambodia following reports last year that flights whilst the area has also seen a rise hectaresiteinthe
casinos goes. situation in Cambodia and with low Queenco Leisure International Ltd had in property prices. Around 320,000 SiemReaparea A new resort is also being planned for a The government had to deal with the
wages some locals are losing almost all bought nine hectares of land in tourists visit Sihanoukville. whichisineasy 265 hectare site in the Siem Reap area problem and back in December 2008 an
Some also fear that if Thailand opens up their earnings. It is estimated that a third Sihanoukville for US$10m. reachoftheworld which is in easy reach of the world order was issued to check all licences for
its gambling jurisdiction then Poipet could of the population live on 50 cents a day Queenco currently operates and manages famoustemple famous temple Angkor Wat. places operating slot machines. At the
lose its key gamblers and once again in South East Asia. The idea is to build a beachfront resort four casinos in total with 1,650 slots and AngkorWat. time some 15 unlicensed slot machine
become a remote border town. and casino including hotels and 160 tables between them. Two casinos are The Bellus Angkor Resort and City will be centres were closed, 12 in Phnom Penh,
A new casino law is now being drawn up conference centres as part of a plan to in Loutraki and Rhodes in Greece plus an integrated leisure and gaming resort two in Sihanoukville and one in Kandal
At the moment the border casinos are to regulate the industry and impose turn the area into a tourist destination. A Casino Palace in Bucharest and Casino costing some US$500m and is likely to province.
suffering with revenues dropping. Some greater restrictions of slot machine year previously the company had bought Beograd in Belgrade. have the same support as Naga World
operators report their customer base gaming. 48 hectares of land in the area from the Prime Minister. The government also ordered all slot
halving and have had to cut staff. 1 The company hopes the Cambodian site machines in entertainment clubs to be
The developers and gaming licence
For a more efficient, profitable and exciting gaming Octavian develops, installs and supports the systems that link playing
future. Learn more about our full range of solutions at
www.octavianinternational.com OctaSystems
terminals, jackpots, data and other assets at single or multiple venues
into efficient, customer-focused gaming operations
OctaSystems OctaGames OctaSupplies OctaLotto OctaBingo
OctaSystems
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53