Cambodian online gambling ring shuttered due to bureaucratic problems

The Cambodia Daily newspaper reports that police in Poipet have shut down an online gambling company being run out of a karaoke parlour, and have interrogated 63 Chinese nationals associated with the enterprise.

However, it appears that miscommunication between government departments may be at the heart of the problem.

Ministry of the Interior security officials briefed reporters on the shutdown, which was ordered Monday because the operation did not “have all the proper documents,” according to Seang Sen, director of the Interior Ministry’s central security department.

“They have a permission letter for the online casino business from the government, but they have not yet received a permission letter from the Finance Ministry,” he said, acknowledging that the closure may be a temporary measure, and that the Chinese staff was all in possession of valid visas.

Sen declined to identify the company operating the online gambling enterprise; the Finance Ministry issued a directive in January requiring all online gambling operations to be run in conjunction with licensed land casinos.

“We have instructed them to contact the Finance Ministry to get a license, and we will allow them to reopen as soon as they get sufficient legal documents,” Sen said.

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