The widely popular betting franchise CamboSix will no longer have a valid license with the government, Finance Minister Keat Chhon said Wednesday, putting an end to its operation and a major dent in Cambodia’s gambling industry,.
“Last night I was in a hurry in my office to omit CamboSix’s contract,” the minister told reporters following a UNDP meeting. “Now I’ve decided to officially shut down CamboSix.”
The measure comes on the heels of a speech by Prime Minister Hun Sen this week calling for an end to the company’s contract with the government.
“The Ministry of Economy and Finance can negotiate with CamboSix, and we will pay it back and shut it down immediately,” Hun Sen said Tuesday, at a graduation ceremony at the National Institute of Education.
One CamboSix employee said she was against the new measure, which would end her job.
Keat Chhon said Wednesday those who lost work from the closure would have to find another job.
The government will now target other forms of gambling in the country, he said, including slot machines, lotteries and other enterprises.