Probably the start of the crash.

Let's just wait and see.Many times statements are made by the "competent authorities" and after a while everything goes back to the business of making money.

In two years we will know if it works.

Given what has happened in Vietnam and Philippines it looks like the PRC means business this time.

Unpredictability is of great concern. The Cambodian govt may flip on the current ban in 6 months, but Chinese operators would never risk their business, nor arrests... All will be looking elsewhere while stuffing thousands of used iPhones and USBs into cardboard boxes.

Many would flock to Manila, where President Duterte has voiced support for the expansion of the online industry. With the philippines being US backed, Beijing may have to offer deals against Its leverage.... Or wait it out. It's a very delicate and complicated situation.

Always surprised me when l went into many Sihanoukville casinos how much of the main casino floor was taken up with girls facing a camera. Looked like only a small % of casino space used for on site players.

All upstairs floors dedicated to online gambling.

Take this online gambling out of the casino and 80% of the space will be redundant.

The Chinese must be reviewing their business plans with the news that online gambling is going to be stopped when their licence is up for renewal. Most shaking their heads in disbelief as their projected profits disappear.

Safe bet that most casinos in Sihanoukville were built to get an online gambling licence.

Imagine abandoned half-built towers strewn across SHV...

oh i see . . .

Interesting article showing many resemblances to the gambling situation in Cambodia.

Beijing Threatens Philippine Offshore Gaming
August 14, 2019
By: John Berthelsen

Beijing is growing increasingly disenchanted with the burgeoning online gaming industry in the Philippines, which is draining hundreds of millions of renminbi through underground banks and cross-border money laundries – even as the industry shows signs of growing into a mainstay for the Philippine economy.

Authorities in Beijing say the government plans to step up action to stamp out illegal gambling and is warning its citizens at home that if they are gambling overseas. They may be committing a criminal act. As Asia Sentinel reported in April, many as 700 million of China’s 1.4 billion people are expected to be gambling online globally over the next five years unless Beijing cracks down.

On August 8, the Chinese embassy in Manila posted a strongly-worded statement warning that the proliferation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, or POGOS is “posing a threat to China’s financial security and supervision” and that all forms of gambling involving Chinese gamblers or targeting the mainland are illegal and will be stamped out.

That threatens an industry that suddenly has grown into a new economic pillar for the Philippines. The POGOs were only authorized by the government in 2016 and have exploded in size, giving Manila a new and unsavory reputation as the Macau of Southeast Asia.

With the advent of convenient, well-developed payment systems through credit cards. Small-time bettors using their phones can live-stream wagers of as little as 10 RMB (US69¢) through Putonghua-speaking computers. More affluent gamblers can use attractive fashionably-dressed proxies wearing headsets to play baccarat and other games. Thus the Chinese at home are finding it easy to spend vast amounts of money and time online, a growing percentage of that passing through Manila With computers and smartphones, they can hide their gambling from authorities.

The Pasay area itself features huge gleaming new casinos with garish interiors, a US$1 billion annual gaming district offering a respite that is thronged with Chinese, outside the range of the sharp eyes of China’s law enforcement personnel on the lookout for crooked mainland officials eager to gamble away government funds. Macau is now closely watched by Chinese authorities. The Philippines has become a route away from state control.
Full article: https://www.asiasentinel.com/econ-busin ... re-gaming/

Authorities in Beijing say the government plans to step up action to stamp out illegal gambling and is warning its citizens at home that if they are gambling overseas. They may be committing a criminal act. As Asia Sentinel reported in April, many as 700 million of China’s 1.4 billion people are expected to be gambling online globally over the next five years unless Beijing cracks down.

On August 8, the Chinese embassy in Manila posted a strongly-worded statement warning that the proliferation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, or POGOS is “posing a threat to China’s financial security and supervision” and that all forms of gambling involving Chinese gamblers or targeting the mainland are illegal and will be stamped out.

As long as its not carried out by Chinese owned and operated casinos in little Macau?

NagaCorp Welcomes Cambodia Directive to Halt Online Gambling
23 August 2019
The operator of Cambodia’s biggest casino, NagaCorp, has welcomed a Prime Ministerial directive that will see the country no longer issue online gaming licenses.

Prime Minister Samdech Techo HE issued the shock directive last week, revealing that the government will stop issuing any new online gaming licenses and won’t renew current licenses when they expire.

With licenses in Cambodia lasting for one year, it means that all online gambling operations will effectively be outlawed completely from August 2020 onwards.

The news will undoubtedly shake things up in Sihanoukville, where online gaming has been behind an explosion in new casino developments in recent years due to a key licensing requirement that live dealer/online operations must take place in a bricks and mortar casino.

But not so for NagaCorp, with Chairman Tim McNally describing the directive as a positive step forward for regulated gaming in Cambodia.

“We recognized some time ago that there was compliance and regulatory weaknesses in Sihanoukville and are pleased to see the government intervene to improve the regulatory environment and address local crime issues,” McNally told Inside Asian Gaming.

NagaCorp, which operates its hugely successful integrated resort NagaWorld in Phnom Penh under a monopoly license, is also licensed to run online gaming but McNally said it had long opted to steer clear due to compliance and regulatory concerns.

“With a monopoly in the capitol and commercial area of Phnom Penh we believe we still maintain a competitive edge over other operators in the country,” he explained of that decision, noting that NagaCorp has traditionally looked to emphasize “self-regulation and effective compliance” as opposed to some less reputable operators in Sihanoukville, Poipet or Bavet.

“This has proven to be a prudent approach to our business success. Improving areas of corporate governance should be a priority for any successful operator within Cambodia.”

Cambodia’s Finance Industry Director at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, May Vann, recent revealed that 200 gaming licenses had been issued with another 30 pending. Although not all are in active use, Global Market Advisors’ Senior Partner Andrew Klebanow puts the number of casinos currently operating in Cambodia at around 100.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2019/08 ... -gambling/