Cambodia says 24 casinos halt online gambling under nationwide enforcement drive

Cambodian authorities say 24 casinos across three provinces have stopped online gambling and removed equipment used for the operations.

State news agency Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) reported the inspection findings on October 1st, citing the Secretariat of the Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS). Authorities had set September 30th as the deadline for ending such operations nationwide.

The casinos comprise 12 in Preah Sihanouk province, seven in Banteay Meanchey and five in Svay Rieng. Activities halted included gambling livestreams, online soccer betting and online lotteries, with related equipment dismantled and removed from the premises.

The secretariat reiterated that online gambling and betting are prohibited both inside and outside casino premises. Authorities will continue monitoring the locations and other sites nationwide, with violations facing legal action ‘without exception or leniency,’ AKP reported.

The enforcement action follows Prime Minister Hun Manet’s decision to suspend casino-based online betting from October, disclosed by Interior Minister Sar Sokha in September.

Sar Sokha said gambling broadcast live from casinos complicated efforts to monitor financial flows of unclear origin. Casinos violating the measure could face license revocation and other legal action.

Cambodia had already stopped issuing new online gambling licenses in 2019 and ceased renewing existing permits after their expiration. The latest measure addresses online betting activity that continued to operate from casino premises.

Separately, the secretariat said authorities had cleared more than 600 suspected scam locations as part of the broader anti-scam campaign. As of September, 18 casino licenses had been revoked over links to online scams, while nine others remained suspended pending further investigation.

For casinos whose licenses had been revoked or suspended, the secretariat said it was continuing to work with gambling regulators, judicial authorities and the Cambodia Financial Intelligence Unit to pursue the seizure, freezing and confiscation of assets belonging to premises owners or casino company shareholders involved in scam offenses.

https://agbrief.com/news/cambodia/02/10/2026/cambodia-says-24-casinos-halt-online-gambling-under-nationwide-enforcement-drive/