Cambodia Shuts 72 of 195 Licensed Casinos in Year-Long Online Fraud Crackdown

Updated July 2026

Cambodia shut 72 of its 195 licensed casinos between June 2025 and June 2026 after a government-mandated nationwide inspection found them linked to online fraud networks. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith presented the findings to a Cabinet meeting on July 24, 2026, with Prime Minister Hun Manet calling the result "a major step forward" in the country's effort to dismantle cyber-scam operations that had embedded themselves inside the gambling sector.

How Many Cambodian Casinos Were Shut and Why?

Of the 195 licensed casinos inspected, authorities found 72 connected to online scam activity. The Commercial Gambling Management Commission (CGMC) revoked 19 licenses outright, suspended 30 more, and a further 23 facilities ceased operations because their licenses had expired during the crackdown period. In aggregate, roughly 37 percent of Cambodia's licensed casino sector was found to be facilitating or enabling illegal online fraud networks, according to data presented to Cabinet and reported by GGRAsia and ASGAM.

What Was the Scale of the Broader Crackdown?

The enforcement effort ran from June 2025 to June 2026 and extended well beyond casino premises. Official figures, confirmed by Xinhua and Cambodian government statements, show the following results across the 12-month period:

• 737 suspected online scam centres raided
• 28,512 locations inspected nationwide
• 665 sites identified as hosting illegal online scam operations
• 537 locations shut following enforcement action
• 21,102 foreign nationals from 38 countries deported as of June 30, 2026
• 268 cases referred to courts involving 2,773 suspects

A new anti-fraud law enacted in April 2026 introduced severe criminal penalties targeting online scam organizers and operators, providing prosecutors with a stronger framework as the campaign moves into its second year.

Which Casinos Lost Their Licenses?

The CGMC had already begun revoking licenses in the months preceding the Cabinet presentation. Between April and early May 2026 alone, at least eight casinos lost their operating rights, including Jin Yu Man Tang Casino, Xin Hao Peak Casino, Eagle King Casino, and Orchid Hotel and Rich Casino, with properties spread across multiple provinces including Sihanoukville and Bavet, Cambodia's two largest gambling corridors.

Enforcement Action	Number of Casinos	Outcome
Licenses revoked	19	Permanently closed
Licenses suspended	30	Operations halted pending review
Licenses expired, not renewed	23	Ceased trading
Total affected	72	37% of 195 inspected

How Did Online Scam Networks Get Inside Cambodia's Casinos?

The link between casinos and cyber-fraud traces back to the COVID-19 pandemic. When international travel collapsed after 2020, many Cambodian casino operators lost their core revenue almost overnight. The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering has documented how some venues pivoted, or failed to exercise adequate due diligence over their tenants, enabling operations that recruited and trafficked workers from across Southeast Asia to staff online fraud centres. United Nations data indicates that fraud networks across the broader Mekong region employ more than 300,000 workers, a significant proportion of whom were trafficked against their will.

Are Casino Owners Facing Criminal Charges?

A notable gap in the enforcement picture is that, despite the scale of the crackdown, Cambodian authorities have announced no criminal charges against casino owners. Enforcement actions have primarily targeted workers found inside scam compounds rather than the operators who owned or leased premises to fraudsters. Political analyst Meas Nee has publicly noted this shortcoming:

"Revoking licenses alone is not enough. When we talk about online crime, we also have to talk about those providing the means and support for it." - Meas Nee, political analyst, quoted by CamboJA News

This absence of operator-level accountability is drawing scrutiny from civil society groups and legal observers who argue that license revocations without prosecutions do not address the underlying incentive structures that made casino premises attractive to fraud networks in the first place.

What International Partners Are Involved?

Cambodia has broadened its enforcement partnerships significantly during the crackdown period. Active cooperation agreements are in place with China, the United States, South Korea, Japan, and Australia, alongside ASEAN member states, INTERPOL, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Mekong-Lancang Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center. The involvement of INTERPOL and the UNODC reflects the transnational dimension of cyber-scam networks, many of which funnel proceeds through multiple jurisdictions before victims can be identified or compensation pursued.

What Is the Impact on Cambodia's Gambling Industry?

Cambodia operated 195 licensed casinos at the start of the inspection period, a number that had already fallen substantially from the peak years when Sihanoukville alone hosted more than 150 venues before regulatory tightening began in 2019. Closing or suspending 72 of the remaining properties in a single year represents a structural contraction of the sector. Operators still holding valid licenses are under intensified compliance scrutiny, and the April 2026 anti-fraud law means that facilitation of scam activity now carries severe criminal penalties alongside license withdrawal.

How Does This Compare With Regional Crackdowns?

Cambodia's action is among the most comprehensive in Southeast Asia to date. The Philippines completed a full ban on offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in late 2024 following pressure from President Marcos and rising evidence of trafficking links. Myanmar's border towns remain a significant concern for regional law enforcement, with scam compounds operating in areas beyond effective government control. Like other regulators tackling illegal activity within licensed premises, Cambodia's authorities face the challenge of distinguishing complicit operators from those who failed adequate oversight, a question that Xinhua's reporting on the crackdown highlights as still unresolved.

What Happens Next?

The Cabinet presentation on July 24 marks the end of the first year of the crackdown but not its conclusion. Authorities have indicated enforcement will continue, with the April 2026 law providing a stronger prosecutorial framework. International pressure, particularly from China and the United States, which have both had nationals victimized by Cambodia-based scam networks, is expected to sustain government focus on the issue. The critical unanswered question is whether authorities will move from license revocations to criminal prosecutions of the operators who enabled fraud networks to operate inside licensed gambling premises.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many of Cambodia's casinos were shut in the crackdown?

72 of Cambodia's 195 licensed casinos ceased operations: 19 had licenses revoked, 30 had licenses suspended, and 23 closed after their licenses expired. The closures cover the period from June 2025 to June 2026.

Who is overseeing the casino crackdown in Cambodia?

The Commercial Gambling Management Commission (CGMC) has led licensing enforcement. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith presented the crackdown findings to Prime Minister Hun Manet's Cabinet on July 24, 2026.

Were any casino owners arrested?

As of July 2026, no criminal charges have been announced against casino owners. Enforcement has focused on workers found inside scam compounds and foreign suspects, with 268 court cases involving 2,773 individuals brought to court.

Why did Cambodia's casinos become linked to online scam networks?

The COVID-19 pandemic collapsed casino revenues from 2020 onward. Some operators and landlords allowed or failed to prevent fraud networks from using their premises to recruit and house workers forced into cyber-scam operations targeting victims across Asia.

What law did Cambodia pass to strengthen the crackdown?

In April 2026, Cambodia enacted a new law specifically targeting online scam networks, imposing severe criminal penalties on organizers and operators of illegal online fraud operations.

How many foreigners were deported from Cambodia in the crackdown?

21,102 foreign nationals from 38 countries were deported as of June 30, 2026. Many were workers recruited or trafficked into scam compounds operating from within or near licensed casino premises.