4 Big Gambling Companies Allegedly Owned by Indonesians in Cambodia
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14 August 2024 19:50 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Cambodian government has long legalized the gambling industry, leading to a surge in casino operations. Many of which are reportedly owned or managed by Indonesian citizens.
According to cybercrime activists, dozens of Indonesian-controlled gambling companies operate in the country, including large-scale enterprises such as Golden Oasis.
Djumara Supriyadi, Coordinator of the Protocol and Consular Function of the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh, acknowledged the influx of Indonesian nationals consciously seeking employment in Cambodia's gambling sector, including as online gambling operators. He stated that the number of Indonesian citizens in Cambodia has risen significantly, from 75,653 in 2022 to 127,178 in 2023, with the first half of 2024 already seeing 81,490 arrivals.
“They voluntarily want to work in Cambodia, both in the online gambling industry sector and its supporting industries,” said Djumara on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
He outlined that there was a surge in the number of Indonesians coming to Cambodia, from 75,653 in 2022 to 127,178 in 2023, with 81,490 arriving in the first half of 2024 alone.
A report by Koran Tempo discovered at least four major gambling companies in Cambodia with Indonesian ownership. The list is as follows:
1. Golden Oasis Entertainment Co., Ltd
Golden Oasis Entertainment Co., Ltd. operates the Trimulia Casino in Sihanoukville. The company obtained its operating license on June 1, 2022. According to business registration records from the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, the casino is managed by three directors: Sun Erik, Choong Hwang Wei, and Nhem Sovannaro.
Sun Erik, previously known as Erik Siswanto, is a naturalized Cambodian citizen. Born in Jakarta on September 1, 1982, he acquired Cambodian citizenship through a naturalization process completed on June 23, 2016.
2. The Lionhart Group
The Lionhart Group is a prominent player in Cambodia's casino industry, operating the Kompong Dewa casino. According to business registration records from the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, the company's board of directors includes Robert Arifin, Tommy Hermawan Lo, Lo Pichvatanak, and Rathanak Sambath. While Robert Arifin is based in Jakarta, the remaining directors reside in Cambodia.
Tommy Hermawan Lo has recently been linked to allegations of controlling online gambling operations in Cambodia. These claims were made by Benny Rhamdani, Head of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI), who referred to an individual with the initial "T". However, Tommy's father, Jerry Hermawan Lo, has denied these accusations.
Jerry Hermawan Lo acknowledged the presence of a casino within a hotel he manages but emphasized that the casino is Cambodian-owned and that his involvement is limited to hotel management, apartment services, and consultancy. He also clarified that he operates a company called JHL Group in Indonesia.
3. Istanaimpian Co., Ltd
Istanaimpian Co., Ltd. is another Indonesian-owned company involved in Cambodia's online gambling industry. Harianto Lisnah serves as the company's director, a position verified by business registration records from the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce. Despite multiple attempts, Tempo was unable to reach Harianto Lisnah for comment. This case further underscores the involvement of Indonesian individuals in the management of online gambling operations in Cambodia.
4. Holiday Palace
The Holiday Palace casino in Cambodia has also drawn attention due to possible connections to Indonesian businessmen. Susanto Sukardi appears as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Holiday Palace Hotel.
Attempts to reach representatives of the company for comment have been unsuccessful. Tempo's emails sent to the official Holiday Palace address went unanswered. Efforts to contact a phone number associated with Susanto, listed on the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's Business Registration website (Businessregistration.moc.gov.kh) under HP LTR Co., Ltd., were also futile as the Cambodia-registered number remained unreachable.
ANDIKA DWI |RIZKI DEWI AYU | JIHAN RISTIYANTI | M KHORY ALFARIZI | FAJAR PEBRIANTO
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