Cambodian Casinos and Clubs Sparks Resurgence in COVID-19 Cases
The reopening of Cambodia’s nightlife scene causes a mass increase in COVID cases among all ages, prior to any nationwide rollout of a vaccine. What seems like a major misjudgement has lead to a significant increase in the population’s infection rate. Cambodia had one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, as of January 2021, they reported 0 deaths from 462 cases. The government decided to reopen businesses, including leisure, sporting events, and retail, leading to a mass wave of the virus through young and old members of their populous.
Cambodia witnessed an immense increase in COVID cases after they reopened their nightlife sector, casinos, clubs and bars are once again operational and the consequences of these actions is yet to be seen.
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Once the globalization of COVID occurred, Cambodia immediately halted all travel to and from the country. Visas were suspended, schools and businesses were temporarily closed, and the public was moved into a national lockdown that lasted over a year. As of this summer, the government has finally decided to remove lockdown regulations in an effort to revive their stagnant economy. Despite a lack of a substantial vaccine rollout, the evidence for reopening was too great, and it couldn’t be delayed any further.
The UN classifies Cambodia as a less developed country and will most likely remain that way for a decade or more. Like many other LDC’s, they’ve struggled to develop an efficient framework for a national vaccine rollout, which has become commonplace in many European countries, and other Asian nations like China. It’s expected that vaccinations will be prevalent within 4-5 months, depending on the population’s willingness to have the jab.
A swing in public opinion has shifted the blame towards the reopening of clubs and casinos, as they’re close-knit environments often with many young people who none of whom have had the vaccine. Now people are calling for these businesses to remain closed until the deployment of vaccines has begun. Currently, the gambling industry in Cambodia is struggling to stay operational due to its closure over the last year and a half. The government raise a large amount of tax from casinos, and they view customers returning to them as a crucial objective.
Cambodian officials flagged multiple nightclubs for contributing towards an increased infection rate, including N8, located in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, an area of extreme poverty during the pandemic. Gambling halls also played a significant part in spreading the viruses through the middle-aged and elderly population. Chinese nationals have been refused entry due to testing positive on arrival, forced to quarantine for two weeks in a secure location and then return home.
Cambodian COVID Cases Continue to Rise
During the midst of the pandemic, Cambodia’s vigilance was an inspiring sight for everyone; a record lowest cases in Asia made it one of the safest countries in the world where COVID was concerned. Since these sterling efforts, however, they’ve failed to respond to the rapid increase of cases and have instead opted for herd mentality, relinquishing control of businesses and standing back as if everything were normal.
NagaWorld Casino is one of the largest and most successful in the country. Only two weeks ago, police raided the resort and arrested several members of staff who had tested positive and ignored the restrictions. The Casino was then shut down by the national gambling authority, temporarily suspending them from all gambling activity and postponing their license renewals. In June, NagaWorld announced a large number of staff layoffs in an attempt to reduce operating costs.
There are over 150 casinos located in the Southeastern nation of Cambodia; 32 of these include major holiday resorts similar to what consumers would find on the Las Vegas Strip. Most of them are owned by Chinese investment groups; the facilities attract thousands of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai tourists in a traditional working year. They’re extremely important to the government as a means of tax income and the crown jewel of their tourism industry.
Cambodia’s Special Laws
The casinos in Cambodia are often placed in ‘Special Economic Zones’, which allow them to bypass laws that apply to the rest of the country. Similar to international waters, they are given special privileges, which many argue is unlawful as these zones are teeming with drug smuggling and money laundering operations. Cambodia has had a long and troubled history with crime through casinos. However, the law remains the same after all these years, and the same groups still run riot.
What’s strange about these casinos is that Cambodian citizens aren’t permitted to gamble in casinos placed in the Special Economic Zones. The significant Chinese population is who these businesses are focused on. Large benefactors from China often travel to Cambodia to spend high sums of money in casinos and then travel home. These practices are common across the world, with wealthy Asian businesspeople often travelling to Vegas for similar reasons.
