Prime Minister declares Cambodia’s online gambling ban permanent
Cambodia has hardened its crackdown on online gambling, with Prime Minister Hun Manet saying the forthcoming shutdown of online casino operations associated with the country’s legal gambling industry will be permanent.
Casino operators have been ordered to stop online gambling operations from early October as the government intensifies its campaign against online scams and criminal activity.
Hun Manet has now made clear the measure should not be interpreted as a temporary suspension.
The decision is part of a wider overhaul of Cambodia’s casino industry that will also see the government reduce the number of licensed casinos and introduce tougher licensing standards.
Cambodia currently has more than 100 licensed casinos, a number Hun Manet has described as excessive.
Authorities reviewed 195 licensed casino businesses during a wider crackdown and dozens have subsequently ceased operating through licence revocations, suspensions or failures to renew.
Hun Manet linked online gambling operations with the country’s fight against technology-enabled scam operations.
“All online gambling operations will be suspended starting early October, as we continue our strict crackdown on online scams to ensure they do not return,” the prime minister said when announcing the measure.
Cambodia has faced substantial international pressure over organised scam compounds linked to online fraud, human trafficking and illicit gambling operations.
The government is now seeking to draw a clearer line between licensed land-based casino gambling and online operations.
The Commercial Gambling Management Commission is also developing tougher integrity assessments for casino licence applications and renewals.
Casino operators failing to comply with the government’s new requirements risk losing their licences.
Cambodia’s casino industry is largely concentrated in areas accessible to foreign gamblers, including Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and border regions, with locals not usually permitted to partake.
Hun Manet has also rejected proposals to allow casino development in Siem Reap, home to the Angkor Wat temple complex.
The permanent online shutdown represents a significant tightening of Cambodia’s gambling regime while leaving regulated land-based casino gambling available to foreign visitors.
