The Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) is moving forward with plans to implement a formal suitability screening process for renewing casino licenses. A draft of this new evaluation framework was reviewed during a meeting held on September 4, chaired by Secretary General Yeth Vinel.
This proposed framework focuses on "integrity and quality" and aims to set minimum conditions that operators must satisfy to either retain or acquire a license. This initiative marks a significant increase in regulatory oversight in the Cambodian gambling sector. However, specific details regarding the scoring criteria and an official implementation timeline have yet to be made public.
The imposition of stricter regulations comes in the wake of an intensified government campaign against scams and illicit financial operations linked to casinos. Khmer Times reports that the Cambodian government has made the notable decision to halt all online gambling activities at its casinos, effective October 2026. This initiative is designed to sever the connections between casinos, cyber-fraudulent activities, and untraceable financial flows. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Sokha has warned that casinos violating this suspension could face license revocation and other legal repercussions.
In August, Cambodia’s state news agency, AKP, revealed that municipal authorities had conducted inspections at 195 licensed casinos as part of the broader anti-scam effort. This initiative resulted in the revocation of 20 licenses and the suspension of 29 others, with an additional 23 licenses ceasing naturally.
Touch Sokhak, the deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior, has emphasized that this operation is essential in preventing Cambodia from becoming a "safe haven or money-laundering base for technology-related criminals."
However, this sustained enforcement is impacting the Cambodian economy. Earlier this year, the government reduced its GDP growth forecast for 2026 due to the adverse short-term effects on construction, real estate, and consumer spending.
The CGMC has yet to announce a timeline for finalizing the integrity and quality framework, leaving casino operators uncertain about the new requirements. This uncertainty coincides with Phnom Penh's upcoming major anti-scam conference scheduled for September 23-24, part of the larger government initiative against online scam networks. Originally themed “Together Towards Disrupting the Chain and Ending Online Scams,” the conference now bears the title “Acting Together towards Breaking the Chain and Eradication of Online Scams.” Prime Minister Hun Manet has publicly declared the crackdown an effort to "clean our house" and improve Cambodia's international standing.
