Cambodia internet gambling usage surges

Nasdaq-listed Limelight Networks, which provides high speed internet and network protection services, reports that Cambodian traffic in the gambling sector has surged up to 50 percent over the past three months, attributing the extraordinary growth to an increase in live dealer gambling demand.

In response, Limelight has increased its network capacity and Points of Presence, introducing new server technology that enabled it to set new records for overall traffic, peak bandwidth and petabytes delivered, and resulted in a 25 percent rise in company revenue growth.

Regional Limelight director Jaheer Abbas spoke about the Cambodian phenomenon at a recent gaming summit, saying that live dealer activity in particular demands speed and consistently high latency, and that without the economies of scale this is expensive to provide.

He said that in recent years live dealer action has boomed in Cambodia, enabling operators to reach a much bigger and more widely dispersed audience.

However, this surge has been accompanied with a corresponding rise in cybercrime, and the need for better and wider security systems to combat the scourge. Security issues included hacking into live streams, triggering strong demand for security products.

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks also continue to present a constant problem, with assaults growing by 200 percent annually, 30 to 40 percent in Asia, where online gambling operators are regularly targetted.

In Asia, the Philippines continues to provide the main focus for Limelight’s operations, with Cambodia rapidly growing to second place.

( Note: This article is based on core information from an Asia Gaming Brief report)