Cambodian authorities have revoked 20 casino licenses and suspended the operations of more than 29 casinos as part of an anti-fraud crackdown in the country. Authorities have launched investigations into all of the country’s 195 licensed casinos.
The investigaions were launched by the Secretariat of the Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams. During the following actions, they have targeted 751 suspected scam facilities, with 605 already closed.
During a year of dedicated investigations, authorities brought 388 cases before the courts involving 4,147 suspects from 27 nationalities.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior Deputy Spokesperson Tush Sohak said the results demonstrate the government’s commitment to combating online fraud and preventing the country from becoming a safe haven for tech criminals or a money laundering base.
The casino industry has become a focus of criticism during this campaign. Amnesty International has expressed concerns regarding casinos which are thought to be involved in violations of human rights, and the government of Cambodia has decided that tackling scams related to the casino industry will be one of their main efforts. However, authorities have not indicated in what way the 20 revoked licenses were associated with documented fraud activities, nor provided an explanation for every licensing operation.
The closure of scam casinos occurs during decline in tourism in Cambodia, as between January and July 2025, the number of international arrivals collapsed by 47.8%. The latest reports show that the authorities managed to shut down 605 out of the 751 targeted scam operations and take licensing actions against 49 casinos, while court investigations involving 4,000 suspects continue.