Cambodia: 24 Casinos Confirmed to Have Halted Online Gambling After Deadline

Twenty-four Cambodian casinos in three provinces stopped livestreamed gaming, football betting, online lotteries and "sporting bird" competitions and physically removed the equipment used for those operations by the 30 September deadline, the secretariat of the Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams said on 1 October. Inspectors worked with the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia and provincial authorities to confirm the closures, the statement published via Agence Kampuchea Presse and carried by TVK said.

Inspectors confirmed removals in Preah Sihanouk, Banteay Meanchey and Svay Rieng

The secretariat reported that 12 casinos in Preah Sihanouk, seven in Banteay Meanchey and five in Svay Rieng had ended "all operations and business activities of online gambling and online betting of every kind" after the 30 September ultimatum expired. The statement did not name the individual venues. Inspections were coordinated with provincial unified command committees and the provincial courts, and the verification process included dismantling and transporting studio equipment and terminals off casino premises.

The secretariat described the practical meaning of "halt" as the physical removal of the studios and terminals that enabled casinos to stream table games and accept bets from players who were not on site. That removal distinguishes the October action from the 2019 administrative prohibition on online gambling licences, which remained in place but was previously circumvented at some venues.

The ban: national prohibition and enforcement posture

The Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams stated that from the deadline onward, all online gambling and online betting "in every form, both inside and outside casino premises, is absolutely prohibited." The secretariat said authorities will continue monitoring inspected sites and locations in other provinces and will pursue legal action against breaches "without exception or leniency."

Interior Minister Sar Sokha previously warned in September that casinos breaching the order faced licence revocation and other legal measures. Prime Minister Hun Manet told the Khmer Times on 16 September that the shutdown "is not a temporary measure" and said casinos involved in online betting would not have their licences renewed, according to the Cambodia-China Times. Provincial statements have reflected the same restriction on play: Pailin governor Ban Sreymom told eight casino companies they may operate only for customers physically present.

Separating the online halt from the anti-scam campaign

The October statement separates the online-gambling halt from the wider anti-scam campaign. As of September the secretariat reported that 18 casinos had their licences revoked and nine had been suspended for links to technology-enabled scams; prosecutors and judicial police are working with the secretariat, the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia, provincial prosecutors and the Cambodia Financial Intelligence Unit to detain, freeze and confiscate owners' and shareholders' assets.

The secretariat also said it had "cleared" more than 600 scam locations nationwide. These counts differ from government figures published in August, when 20 licences were reported revoked and 29 suspended; the latest statement did not reconcile the discrepancy. The Khmer Times published the names of 18 revoked casinos in September, including Shang Hai Resort, Casino Ying Huang and several Jin Bei properties. The Phnom Penh Post noted the secretariat did not say whether any of the 24 casinos that ended online gambling were among those revoked or suspended, and the secretariat made no allegation that the 24 were involved in scams.

What the figure 24 does and does not show

The number 24 is a count of confirmed compliance in the three provinces inspected; it is not a population denominator. The secretariat did not disclose how many casinos were operating online before the deadline, nor whether venues in Pailin, Phnom Penh or other provinces had been inspected. Prime Minister Hun Manet has put the number of licensed casinos at about 100, while the Phnom Penh Post refers to almost 200. Until the government publishes a full list of inspected sites, the 24 should be read as a first wave of confirmed compliance rather than proof that casino-based online gambling has ended nationwide.

Practical implications for licensed land-based casinos and future licensing

For casinos that removed online equipment, the October verification is the initial regulatory test. The Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia is drafting a suitability framework to apply at licence renewal, and the International Monetary Fund has advised that both the legal framework and the vetting of casino owners require strengthening. Prime Minister Hun Manet has also signalled tighter entry conditions, including a capital requirement of up to $100 million for operators.

Each casino that dismantled and removed streaming equipment has passed the immediate compliance probe. Future licence renewals, expected around 2027, will assess broader suitability criteria that the regulator has yet to publish.

Enforcement challenges: equipment removed, demand remains

The secretariat's court-coordinated removals create a more verifiable compliance test than the 2019 paper ban; they also increase the regulatory leverage over licences before renewal. The secretariat acknowledged it will monitor "throughout the country," signalling awareness that operators or criminal groups could relocate operations away from licenced casino compounds to smaller, decentralised sites. The government will need continuing inspection capacity to detect such moves.

What this means for regulators and the market

Regulatory authorities have demonstrated the operational ability to inspect premises and seize equipment. The next phase is the publication and application of suitability criteria for licence renewals and the follow-through on asset freezes and prosecutions in scam-linked cases. Market participants should follow the regulator's forthcoming suitability framework and the outcomes of prosecutions and licence appeals.

"All online gambling and online betting in every form... is absolutely prohibited," the secretariat said in its 1 October statement.

Prime Minister Hun Manet said on 16 September the shutdown "is not a temporary measure," according to media reports.

For further context on regulatory measures affecting casino operations see the regulation section and recent coverage in news.