Cambodia's Nationwide Casino Inspections Expose Fraud Ties Across Licensed Venues

Cambodian authorities completed a full sweep of all 195 licensed casinos and identified 72 of them as participants in online fraud operations, and this finding emerged from a coordinated one-year crackdown that ran from June 2025 through June 2026. The effort involved coordinated raids on 737 scam centers along with inspections of 28,500 separate locations, and officials revoked or suspended licenses for dozens of casinos while deporting more than 21,100 foreign nationals and filing hundreds of court cases. Prime Minister Hun Manet received the compiled report from Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith during a Cabinet meeting on 24 July 2026 and characterized the document as a major step forward in restoring the country’s reputation.

Scope of the Inspection Campaign

Teams moved through every licensed casino property in the country and cross-checked operational records against known scam center indicators, and the process revealed direct connections between 72 venues and online fraud networks that had been operating under the cover of legitimate gaming licenses. Inspectors documented evidence of shared infrastructure, overlapping personnel, and financial flows that linked these casinos to broader criminal enterprises, while the remaining 123 casinos received clearance after showing no such ties. Raiding parties targeted 737 separate scam centers during the same period, and the combined inspections reached 28,500 locations that included both licensed and unlicensed sites across multiple provinces.

Enforcement Actions and Legal Outcomes

License revocations and suspensions hit dozens of casinos whose operators could not demonstrate separation from fraud activities, and authorities pursued hundreds of court cases stemming directly from evidence gathered during the raids and inspections. Deportation proceedings removed over 21,100 foreign nationals who had been working or residing at the targeted sites, and many of those individuals faced additional charges in their home countries after Cambodian courts completed initial proceedings. The report submitted to the Cabinet outlined how these enforcement steps disrupted established scam operations that had previously used casino licenses as a shield for money laundering and online fraud schemes.

Timeline and Coordination Details

Planning for the one-year crackdown began in mid-2025 and intensified through targeted operations that continued until June 2026, and inter-agency teams synchronized raids with simultaneous document reviews at casino headquarters. Data collected from the 28,500 inspections fed directly into the final report, and analysts identified patterns showing how certain licensed casinos had provided cover for call centers running investment scams and romance frauds. The effort produced a comprehensive record of violations that Cambodian courts are now processing through the hundreds of ongoing cases.

Official Response and Next Steps

Prime Minister Hun Manet reviewed the report during the 24 July 2026 Cabinet session and noted that the findings represent progress in separating legitimate gaming from criminal activity, and he directed relevant ministries to maintain oversight of the remaining licensed casinos. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, who oversaw the inspection teams, presented detailed breakdowns of the 72 implicated venues along with statistics on the raids and deportations. Government statements indicate that follow-up monitoring will continue at all 195 licensed casinos to prevent any re-emergence of fraud links.

Impact on Cambodia's Gaming Sector

The crackdown has already altered the operational landscape for Cambodia's casino industry, and the revocation of multiple licenses has reduced the total number of active venues while increasing scrutiny on those that remain. Foreign investment in the sector faces new compliance requirements, and operators must now demonstrate clear separation from any online activities that fall outside regulated gaming. The deportation of more than 21,100 individuals has also changed workforce demographics at many properties, and court proceedings continue to determine additional penalties for those convicted of fraud-related charges.

Conclusion

The one-year crackdown produced a clear accounting of how 72 out of 195 licensed casinos became entangled with online fraud, and the resulting enforcement actions including raids, license actions, deportations, and court cases have reshaped the regulatory environment. The report presented on 24 July 2026 provides Cambodian authorities with a documented baseline for continued oversight, and the Prime Minister's assessment frames these outcomes as foundational work toward rebuilding international confidence in the country's gaming sector. Ongoing monitoring will determine whether the separation between legitimate casinos and scam operations holds in the years ahead.