Hun Sen declares war on gambling: Cambo-Six may be gone soon … but only time will tell?

On Tuesday 24 Feb, during a ceremony to distribute diplomas, PM Hun Sen asked Keat Chhon, the minister of Economy and Finance, to review the contract linking Cambo-Six (sport betting company) to the Cambodian state.

“The minister of Economy must negotiate with Cambo-Six. If possible, let’s shut it down now, but we must first look into the contract,” Hun Sen bluntly said.

For several years now, gambling and betting parlors are growing like mushrooms in Phnom Penh: lottery, slot machines, casinos, sport betting, etc… Everybody gamble, from all social classes and this situation alarms civil society representatives.

Children are spending more on games than on their study, husbands would abandon their wives so that they can go bet on soccer matches, some youths would even commit theft so they can go to casinos! This is a golden moment for the opposition which, on several occasions, asked the government to prohibit gambling … but it fell on deaf ears.

Nevertheless, Hun Sen reacted today. “Cambo-Six mission must come to term. I don’t want to have a headache with gambling,” Hun Sen said while promising to buy back equipments from concession companies. “I think that the president of Cambo-Six understands the situation…” Hun Sen claimed.

Hun Sen is not only attacking Cambo-Six but, he also sent his message to all slot machine operators. Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodia Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA) is rejoicing by the announce made by Hun Sen, but he would still wait to see the outcome of this ban.

In fact, a secretary of state from the ministry of Economy and Finance, indicated that gambling brought in $20 million to the state coffer in 2008.

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