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| NagaWorld Casino in the middle of Phnom Penh |
Princes Soma Norodom
The Phnom Penh Post
Gambling should not be considered a way to make money. Whether you play the slot machines, blackjack or roulette, casino games are based on random outcomes. And the house always wins – just like our government.
I can walk into a casino and gamble in Cambodia, as long as I show my US passport to the casino staff. But it’s illegal for Cambodian citizens to gamble, and those who are near a casino and are caught gambling, will be prosecuted.
The prime minister has stated that if any casinos, or the authorities monitoring them, allow Khmer citizens to enter, those casinos would be shut down and the police officials involved will be punished. That has not been the case with several casinos, however.
In 2011, Cambodian casinos generated $20 million in tax revenue, a 25 per cent increase from the previous year.
The government has supported the development of more casinos because of the tax revenue they generate. This revenue is used to help develop the Kingdom’s health and education systems.
The prime minister also said last week that building casinos along the nation’s borders would prevent Thailand and Vietnam encroaching on Cambodian territory.
Some protest that the development of more casinos will force residents off their land and lead to an increase in crime and a gambling addiction that will worsen the poverty cycle.
With the rise in online poker and internet-based gaming, gambling has become more accessible, and addiction becomes easier.
A gambling addiction can take a toll on your health as well as your wallet. The financial stress can lead to loss of job, family and reputation in the community.
What starts out as a game can gradually become a serious problem, with the gambler always thinking he’s on the verge of winning, and being consumed by the thrill of the game.
Some government officials are addicted to gambling, and have been seen gambling in private rooms of casinos. The police are not doing anything to shut down these casinos, as some government officials have a vested interest in the casino business.
Australians spend nearly $12 billion a year on poker machines, and three-quarters of them are poker-machine players.
One in six people who regularly play the pokies has a severe gambling problem. It’s not just about the money, but the harm done to themselves and their families. Gambling addicts lose quality time with their families and struggle to maintain relationships, which can lead to divorces and broken homes.
The Australian government has a responsibility to protect people whose gambling is out of control. It has set up counselling centres where gambling addicts can seek help and their families can learn how to help deal with them.
In Cambodia, there are no counselling centres or mental-health services for gambling addicts. This is a growing problem the government must address and find solutions for, because gambling addiction can lead to other forms of abuse such as drugs and alcohol.
All Cambodian citizens should abide by the gambling laws. Many laws are not obeyed by all citizens, and our gambling law seems to apply only to Cambodian citizens who are powerless, not to government officials and ministers who are VIP customers of, or investors in, these casinos.
Gambling should not be considered a way to make money. Whether you play the slot machines, blackjack or roulette, casino games are based on random outcomes. And the house always wins – just like our government.
4 comments:
Ah Kwak secret plan is to remove all Khmer-Thai borders and all Khmer-Youn border replacing it with Casino. You can remove the border post but you can't remove the 5 Storey High Casino buildings.
This is ah Kwak win-win policy. Are you stupid, Ah Kwak!
What a stupid article.
Those who benefited from these casinos ( NagaWorld, ....) are not happy to see the casino law strictly applied to Khmer Citizens.
Most gamblers are Cambodians which are not allowed to gamble there, but they did .
If only foreigners are gamblers in NagaWorld Casino,Sihanoukville,....,no profit for them.
To reduce crime in the city and to protect our frontier,
Why don't move these casinos to the border ?
of course, any development along the common border is a sure way to prevent greedy, illegal neighboring countries from staking claims to khmer lands, territories, etc, really. it is leaving the borders isolated and undevelop that khmer people have to worry about greedy, illegal neighboring countries from stealing from cambodia like they did during the dark ages era, you know. casino is one way, i'm sure there are many other ways as well to deter those greedy neighbors from stealing from cambodia, you know. i can think of a million ways. can you? also teaching the world to know about khmer geography, etc helps as well. and don't forget to always register khmer official maps with the UN, etc, etc, ok! that way too no matter what situation or chaos cambodia may find itself in, the registered map at the UN, etc will always be the official map of cambodia despite all other illegal staking, etc by those thuggy, greedy neighboring countries, really!
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