Cambodia says casino industry earns annual revenue of 2 bln USD

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's casino industry has generated a revenue of approximately 2 billion U.S. dollars per annum, the country's central bank chief said here Wednesday.

"Perhaps next to Macao and Monaco, Cambodia has the largest proportion of casino income to total international travel credits of any country in the world," said Chea Serey, director general of the National Bank of Cambodia.

"In the case of Cambodia, income generated by casinos from non- residents represents about 40 percent of total international travel credits," she said in her opening speech of a seminar on statistics of international trade in services.

According to the Cambodian Ministry of Economy and Finance, the country now has 59 casinos in operation, all in border areas, except one, the Malaysian-owned NagaWorld, which is located in the national capital of Phnom Penh.

Cambodia only allow foreigners to gamble in casinos operating in the country.

Statistics of the ministry show that Cambodia collected tax revenue of more than 25 million U.S. dollars from the casino industry in 2014 and about 22 million U.S. dollars in the first half of 2015.

source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=303777