The amount of tax collected from Cambodia’s 193 licensed casinos fell by more than half in 2020, according to figures from the Cambodian Government

The amount of revenue enhancement self-collected from Cambodia’s 193 licensed casinos fell by to a greater extent than half inward 2020, according to figures from the Kampuchean Government.

Tax revenue amounted to US$40m (£28.9m) in 2020, a 53% free fall from the US$85m inward 2019, primarily due to widespread closures and reduced international visitant arrivals amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Casinos end-to-end Kampuchea were closed on 2 April 2020 under the tell of Prime Minister Hun Sen, with some able-bodied to reopen in August and others in October. type A nationwide forbidding on online gaming trading operations meanwhile also had a electronegative impact on task revenues, with all previous online licences expiring on 1 January 2020.

“As we’re all too swell aware, the Covid-19 epidemic began inwards late 2019 and persists to this day,” said deputy sheriff theatre director of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ros Phearun. “It has pulverized all economic sectors, and the gambling casino manufacture has sustained a crippling blow as well.

“Practically all of our casinos ceased surgical procedure inward 2020, with only if simply sevener or ogdoad left wing scrambling to maintain their businesses afloat. That’s why our revenue assembling has dropped so much.”

Phearun is, however, expecting revenues to rebound inwards 2021, after the country passed the Law on the Management of Integrated Resorts and Commercial Gambling inwards November.