Cambodian officials have ordered the closure of a casino resort in Sihanoukville following complaints from locals that raw sewage was being flushed straight into the sea.
The Jin Ding Hotel and Casino, which recently opened on Koh Rong Samloem Island, will be forced to shut down operations from 22 March after failing to follow a range of official guidelines. It is also said to have ignored development restrictions and promoted illegal online betting games, according to local media reports.
The property is owned by Chinese national Zhou Jianhua via his company 168 Jinding International Entertainment Co Ltd.
“The casino’s owner had the building constructed on the beach too close to the sea and violated some terms and conditions,” a local government spokesman said.
“We ordered [the owner] to completely close it on 22 March in order for his staff to find other jobs. We are not closing it immediately – we have instructed him on many occasions but he failed to comply with our directives.”
The closure comes after 77 families filed complaints, which led to a working group inspecting the property. The group found that the property was illegally built directly on the sandy beach and did not incorporate a proper sewage filtration system.
