CAMBODIAN GOVERNMENT CANCELS GAMBLING LICENSES
6 March 2009
Prime minister motivated by need to "improve
social morality"
The Cambodian gambling industry has been thrown into
uncertainty by the arbitrary cancellation last week of
gambling licenses as the minister of Finance, Keat Chhon,
complies with an overall requirement from the country's
prime minister Hun Sen to curtail the pastime for social
and moral reasons.
Operators protested the
cancellations, saying that the licenses - some of which
were scheduled to run through to 2011 - were a
contractual agreement with the government that could not
be torn up without valid reasons.
The
cancellations follow an action against operator Cambo
Six, which was shut down for ambiguous "moral reasons."
Cambo Six has been advised to correspond with the prime
minister's office in order to review the situation for
the firm, which is said to have made a substantial
investment in its facilities.
Another company,
the Internet-based Sporting Live Group has closed its
virtual doors after two years of operations in
compliance with the government's assault on online
gambling. A company spokesman said that the closure
meant unemployment for the more than 200 Cambodians who
worked for the operator.
Sok Sambath, the
governor of the Daun Penh district confirmed that his
officials were complying with the prime minister's
directive in closing down formerly licensed gambling
operations, including Cambo Six, Sporting Live Group and
others. The governor of Preah Sihanouk province, Sboang
Sarath, took similar actions in his region.
The
closures have had an immediate impact in slowing payouts
to players despite the finance minister's insistence
that all player obligations must be honoured.
Online Casino News Courtesy of
Infopowa
More news here.
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