Per the Prime Minister's announcement, no new casinos shall be constructed in the southern Cambodian provinces of Kep and Kampot except for those integrated resorts and...
After conducting an investigation into all 195 licensed casinos, Cambodian authorities revoked 20 and suspended 29 licenses as part of a nationwide enforcement action against scam centers.
The Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams shared that authorities conducted operations against 751 locations suspected of engaging in scam networks between July 2025 and July 2026, as a result of which 605 venues were shut down. Additionally, the investigations led to the prosecution and deportation of thousands of unregistered foreigners connected to illegal activities.
Specifically, the investigation sent 388 cases to the court, targeting 4,147 suspected individuals from 27 different nationalities. Commenting on the crackdown, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior Touch Sokhak said that the results show the intensity and importance of fighting against online scams, highlighting the government’s focus on ensuring that Cambodia doesn’t become a hub for technological or money laundering crimes.
Sokhak further added that the Anti-Cyber Crime Department found that these scam centers weren’t just simple fraud operations, but rather organized criminal networks where ringleaders assign targets, collect victims’ information, and supervise lower-level workers. According to the department, the criminals also use Voice over Internet Protocol and message-encryption apps to hide their identities and locations.
Alongside the online casino scams, the criminal groups also operate crypto investment fraud, illegal online lending schemes, and romance scams.
