The operators of casinos in Cambodia will have until the end of this year to register all gaming equipment on their properties or face having it removed under new regulations governing the supply, import and operation of such equipment across the country.
However, questions still remain over the process going forward, and how suppliers will move new equipment into Cambodia, with a mysterious entity known as FIRM 614 currently listed as the only importer licensed by the Cambodian government.
Inside Asian Gaming understands that the new regulations, which are still in draft form, will require all operators to register approved products and either destroy or ship out those that are more than 10 years old as part of the Commercial Gambling Management Commission’s (CGMC) efforts to clean up the industry.
Industry participants told IAG that the new regulation could, if implemented as intended, prove beneficial given the number of illegal or copied products are currently in operation in Cambodia but said they wanted to know more about FIRM 614. There is also little clarity on the fees to be charged to suppliers or casinos for import approval and whether other importers would be added to the list of approved companies in the future.
Speaking at the IAG Academy Summit in Manila last week, Deputy Director of the Legal Affairs and Licensing Management Department for the CGMC, Oudam Khim, confirmed that FIRM 614 is the “only one for now” although IAG understands the regulator has suggested more importers may be licensed next year.
In a weekend update, Malaysian gaming equipment supplier RGB International Bhd announced that it had signed an agreement with FIRM 614 as its “exclusive agent to assist in importing, selling and distributing all kinds of gaming equipment and/or commercial gaming software to gaming operators licensed by the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia.”
In response to questions at the IAG Academy Summit, Oudam said, “The importers of gambling equipment must have a license from the CGMC but the regulation on this is still in draft form, so maybe next year we will have this regulation.
“At this time, we have recognized one firm that we call 614 to coordinate the import of gaming equipment into Cambodia. I would like to inform you that this year we are trying to ask for all operators to release their old equipment to the CGMC and the requirement is [to do so] by the end of this year.
“So, all equipment that is not registered with the CGMC must be moved out. After that, we need new equipment for the casino industry.”
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