According to the media, the petition was submitted to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training by a union representing workers at the Nagaworld casino complex. The property is run by Hong Kong-listed Nagakov.

Cambodian authorities have temporarily ordered all casinos in Cambodia to close since April 1 as part of a number of measures aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 infections. The closure of these venues is ongoing, according to several casino operators in Cambodia.

Cambodia's government has allocated $100 million to a social support program that covers workers in the informal economy and workers in factories or businesses closed by the pandemic. But workers in the entertainment industry, including casinos, are not covered by the subsidy program, the trade union noted.

Camboza News quoted union leader Chim Siddhar as saying it expects the government to "consider" their petition as casino resorts cannot resume operations yet. The outlet also cited a representative from the ministry who confirmed it had received the document.

A similar petition by workers from different types of entertainment venues was rejected earlier this week, according to a news website. Rejecting the request, the government said it could not expand the coverage of the program because the relevant budget had already been finalized.