Wild West Wilds

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The 888Africa acquisition announcement raises questions about why GiG have opted to return to the B2C sphere. Richards warns against over-analysing the deal as a wholesale return to B2C, insisting that GiG remains a B2B platform and tech business at its core.

Asked why GiG had returned to B2C, Richards explains the decision was threefold.

“First, our own priorities have shifted,” he says. “We have been explicit that we are moving away from a growth-at-all-costs mindset, towards a more disciplined focus on profitability and cash generation, and 888Africa is immediately accretive on both counts.

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However, the sustained enforcement drive has already taken a toll on the wider Cambodian economy. In May, the government lowered its 2026 GDP growth forecast as construction, real estate and consumer spending absorb the short-term impact of the crackdown.

Meanwhile, the CGMC has not disclosed when the integrity and quality framework will be finalised, leaving casino operators without concrete guidance on the new requirements. 

The gap comes as Phnom Penh prepares to host its major anti-scam conference on 23-24 September, part of the wider government campaign against online scam networks.

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Bengtsson said the revenue gains from recent investment efforts should translate into improved operating leverage as the casino business continues to grow.

“The sustainability in the operational improvements and in our market share gains are clearly there,” he said. “Those are real, and they are happening right now.

“Our ambition, as we outlined in March, has always been to change the trajectory of our land-based business, which I think we now have done. Our ambition is now to continue to take market share in the land-based casinos.”