Cambodia earns $2 bn from its casinos annually

Cambodia's casino industry has generated a revenue of approximately $2 billion per annum, the country's central bank chief said here on Wednesday.

"Perhaps next to Macao and Monaco, Cambodia has the largest proportion of casino income to total international travel credits of any country in the world," said Chea Serey, director general of the National Bank of Cambodia, Xinhua reported.

"In case of Cambodia, income generated by casinos from non-residents represents about 40 percent of total international travel credits," Chea said in her opening speech of a seminar on statistics of international trade in services.

According to the Cambodia's ministry of economy and finance, the country now has 59 casinos in operation, all in border areas, except one, the Malaysian-owned NagaWorld, which is located in the national capital of Phnom Penh.

Cambodia only allow foreigners to gamble in casinos operating in the country.

Statistics of the ministry show that Cambodia collected tax revenue of more than $25 million from the casino industry in 2014 and about $22 million in the first half of 2015.