Casinos reopen in Cambodia and South Korea

Casinos in South Korea and Cambodia have reopened, as much of Asia eases out of lockdowns caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

NagaWorld Cambodia will reopen its VIP and slot machine sections tomorrow (8 July) after the country’s Ministry of Health conducted an inspection of the property on 4 July.

The operator and the Ministry of Health signed a memorandum of understanding on 30 June that would allow the casino to reopen as part of a pilot project ahead of a wider reopening of venues across Cambodia.

NagaWorld operator NagaCorp said the casino was chosen because of its location in the centre of Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, its status as the largest casino in the country and its large workforce and contribution to the Cambodian economy.

The operator will take measures including providing isolation rooms for guests, enforcing distancing and placing sanitiser and other safety equipment around the location. Masks and temperature checks will also be required for guests and staff.

“The reopening of NagaWorld is a cautious approach and hence the guidelines issued by the MOH must be implemented,” NagaCorp said.

If the NagaWorld reopening is successful, more reopenings are expected to follow.

Meanwhile, Kangwon Land’s casino in South Korea reopened last week (1 July) after being closed since 23 February.

This follows a temporary “rehearsal” opening on 27 May, which the operator said helped it identify and deal with shortcomings in its reopening plan. In addition, Kangwon land will sterilise casino chips and will place notices around its properties to remind customers to respect social distancing requirements.

The operator said it installed screens at gaming tables and between gaming machines. It also said it is “reviewing ways to minimize contact between employees”.

Kangwon Land added that its management team is making daily inspections of its reopening plans to ensure they are effective.