In Cambodia and at least ten casinos have now reportedly been given permission to partially re-open after being temporarily closed from the first day of April as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report from Inside Asian Gaming citing an earlier story from The Phnom Penh Post newspaper, the revelation from the Asian nation’s Ministry of Economy and Finance follows an early-July decision that allowed local gambling-friendly venues to begin reviving operations so long as they agreed to abide by a detailed selection of state-mandated social distancing and public health measures.

Prominent players:

Ros Phirun from the Ministry of Economy and Finance reportedly told the newspaper that the recently re-opened Cambodian casinos include the giant NagaWorld property from NagaCorp Limited as well as Donaco International Limited’s more modest Star Vegas Resort and Club. The source detailed that eight venues in the seaside resort community of Sihanoukville have also been given official state permission to revive gambling operations after having their official requests to the nation’s Ministry of Health approved.

Phirun reportedly told the newspaper…

“The casinos are limited in operations and must ensure social distancing and cleanliness. We expect more re-openings soon.”

Crossing complications:

The newspaper reportedly explained that Phnom Penh’s impressive NagaWorld facility began welcoming VIP punters again from July 8 while the 337-room Star Vegas Resort and Club, which is located in the Cambodian border town of Poipet, resumed limited test operations over the weekend despite the fact that travel across the nearby frontier with neighboring Thailand remains closed.