Cambodia authorities confirm licences revoked for 18 casinos, operations suspended at nine more
The authorities in Cambodia have confirmed the revocation of the licences of 18 casinos in the country as part of ongoing efforts to curb online scam operations nationwide. Another nine casinos had their licences suspended pending further inquiries and investigations, local media reported, citing i…
The authorities in Cambodia have confirmed the revocation of the licences of 18 casinos in the country as part of ongoing efforts to curb online scam operations nationwide. Another nine casinos had their licences suspended pending further inquiries and investigations, local media reported, citing information disclosed by the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Technology-enabled Scams (CCTC) earlier this week. The figures stem from law enforcement actions that began in July 2025. The authorities had previously announced that the year-long-plus nationwide campaign had included inspections of 195 licensed casinos in Cambodia and revealed 72 facilities allegedly involved in online fraud. Of those, at least 23 casinos had already ceased operations because their licences had expired. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, permanent vice-chairman of the CCTC, said on Tuesday: “As of September 2026, 18 casinos involved in online scam activities have been identified and their licences revoked, while the licences of nine other casinos have been suspended pending further inquiries and investigations.” The CCTC is now working with Cambodia’s Commercial Gambling Management Commission, as well as the country’s police, courts and other relevant authorities, to take action against the casinos suspected of involvement in online scam activities, it was reported. Measures include freezing and confiscating assets belonging to the owners of premises or shareholders of casino companies involved in online scam offences, according to the CCTC. Last week, Cambodia’s Interior Minister Sar Sokha announced that Cambodia will suspend online gambling operations at all casinos from October, in line with Prime Minister Hun Manet’s directive to strengthen controls over gambling and financial flows. Cambodia’s Commercial Gambling Management Commission is meanwhile preparing an “integrity and quality” evaluation framework to assess casino licence renewals. On Monday, the body held a new meeting to review and discuss the proposed framework, which is intended to establish minimum suitability requirements for obtaining a casino licence.