Century Entertainment says long-awaited opening of Cambodia gaming table business now imminent

Asgam
 
Wild Casino

Former Macau casino investor Century Entertainment International Holdings says it expects to finally re-launch its long-awaited gaming table operation at a casino in Dara Sakor, Cambodia before the end of this month.

The ongoing saga, updated as part of its interim results announcement for the six months to 30 September 2022, comes with Century Entertainment having reported zero revenue for the period in question and a net loss of HK$5.8 million (US$742,000).

Instead, the company has spent the past 18 months waiting to relaunch since agreeing to relocate its mass gaming table business from Sihanoukville to Dara Sakor in February 2021.

As previously reported by IAG, Century Entertainment has been operating its table games business in Sihanoukville in a casino owned by its Chairman and CEO – controversial former Macau gaming identity Ng Man Sun.

However, Ng revealed in October 2020 that he had received a more attractive offer to house the casino in Dara Sakor. Century Entertainment, which had previously signed a five-year deal with Lion King Entertainment Company Ltd – a company wholly-owned by Ng – to operate some gaming tables at the Sihanoukville casino, subsequently agreed to do so in Dara Sakor instead.

Implementation of that agreement has since been delayed on multiple occasions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Century Entertainment said overnight that it expects to have its gaming tables up and running within days.

“With the mass gaming tables business targeted to resume operation by end of 30 November 2022, and start contributing financially in 2023, the Group believes its business will return to an upward trajectory in the coming financial year,” it said.

“The valid period of the gaming table business rights shall be for a period of five years from the date when the mass market of the new casino re-opens.”

Century Entertainment was originally known as Amax International Holdings, a company best known for running VIP operations in Macau and holding a 24.8% stake in now shuttered Macau casino Greek Mythology.