Cambodia has long drawn tourists to sights ranging from the Khmer Rouge killing fields to the magnificent temples of Angkor. Now the country is looking to a new market: Chinese gamblers who are deserting Macau, the region’s traditional casino hub.
‘If you are Chinese, you go to Macau and what’s there? Gaming, shopping and entertainment — that’s all,” says Philip Lee, chief financial officer of NagaCorp, Cambodia’s dominant casino operator. “If you come to Cambodia, it’s not just hardcore gambling — it’s a more holistic experience.”
The sales pitch is part of a grab several Asian countries are making for Chinese high rollers seeking a more discreet alternative to Macau, after Beijing launched a crackdown on money laundering and ostentatious wealth there.