Cambodia’s leader has called on his countrymen to stop their wicked, wicked ways and give up the gamble.
A week back, Prime Minister Hun Sen gave a speech at the Techo Aphivat commune, a social housing development for retired soldiers in Kampot province, saying he was “ashamed that some officials and some people I had high esteem for are addicted to gambling. I cannot relate to them.”
The PM went on to say that anyone receiving financial assistance from his government would find themselves cut off from the public teat if they were caught using those funds to gamble. Hun Sen urged local authorities to “take action to eliminate lottery dealers and gambling.”
Cambodian law forbids its citizens from gambling, although the country has issued 75 licenses for gambling venues serving foreign tourists. Ten of these licenses were issued one month ago, mostly in the Sihanoukville region to Chinese investors who are primarily focused on operating online live dealer casinos catering to their countrymen back home.