Cambodia’s Crackdown on Casinos: 20 License Revocations and 29 Suspensions

Cambodian authorities have canceled 20 casino licenses and suspended operations at over 29 others as part of a crackdown on fraudulent activities in the nation. These actions follow an investigation led by the Secretariat of the Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams, which scrutinizes all 195 licensed casinos in the country.
Authorities have already targeted 751 suspected fraudulent facilities, closing 605 of them during the course of their investigations. Over the past year, these efforts have resulted in 388 cases brought to the courts, involving 4,147 suspects spanning 27 nationalities.
Tush Sohak, Deputy Spokesperson for Cambodia's Ministry of Interior, stated that these results underscore the government's resolve to combat online fraud and prevent the country from becoming a haven for technology criminals or a base for money laundering.
The casino sector has faced increased scrutiny amid these investigations, with Amnesty International raising concerns about casinos linked to human rights violations. The Cambodian government has prioritized addressing scams within the casino industry. However, specific details regarding the association of the revoked licenses with documented fraudulent activities have not been disclosed, nor has a rationale been given for each licensing decision.
This purge of fraudulent casinos coincides with a significant decline in tourism, with international arrivals to Cambodia plummeting by 47.8% from January to July 2025. As per the latest reports, authorities have successfully closed down 605 of the 751 targeted scam operations and have taken licensing actions against 49 casinos while investigations into 4,000 suspects are ongoing.