Cambodia casino shut down for letting locals bet on cockfights

Another Cambodian casino has been shut down for staging cockfights, and some local residents are pissed that the operators have apparently received only a slap on the beak.

Last Thursday, authorities in Memot District, located in Tboung Khmum province on Cambodia’s southeastern border with Vietnam, shut down an unlicensed gambling operation known as Global 69 Casino for operating an illegal cockfighting ring.

The Khmer Times reported that the raid involved both provincial police and military police and was led by the Tboung Khmum Provincial Court prosecutor. The casino was closed on the order of the court, but the Phnom Penh Post reported without further explanation that the closure was only temporary.

The Times reported that around 100 individuals were detained, including the casino’s owner and managers, although the Post later reported that the owners weren’t among those detained. Local residents who have been complaining about the casino for some time found new reason to complain when they learned that the owners didn’t appear to be facing anything more severe than a brief period of inactivity.