Cambodia will suspend online gambling operations at all casinos across the country from October 2026 as part of government efforts to strengthen measures against technology-related scams and the circulation of money from unclear sources.
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Sokha said the decision followed investigations by authorities which found that online gambling streamed live from casinos had made it difficult to monitor and control the movement of money whose origins could not be verified.
Sar Sokha made the remarks during a ceremony to inaugurate a concrete road in Prey Mlu village, Krapum Chhuk commune, Koh Andet district, Takeo province, on 5 September.
During the suspension, relevant ministries and agencies will be required to develop and strengthen regulations governing online gambling, including the legal framework, regulatory measures, digital infrastructure and specialised human resources, before the government considers allowing such operations to resume.
Sar Sokha warned that casinos violating the new policy from October could face the revocation of their licences and other legal action.
The decision comes as the Cambodian government has stepped up its campaign against online scam networks over the past year.
According to figures from the Interior Ministry, between July 2025 and 31 August 2026, Cambodian authorities rescued and repatriated more than 22,000 foreign nationals from 38 countries.
During the same period, authorities sent 408 cases involving 3,477 suspects from 29 nationalities to court, including people identified as alleged ringleaders and associates.
The ministry said authorities had investigated and inspected 793 suspected locations, carried out raids at 624 sites and dismantled 86 scam centres.
Nearly 30,000 suspects from 39 nationalities were detained during the operations, according to the ministry.
Authorities also took action against 27 casinos, revoking the licences of 18 and suspending nine others.
The government said more than 400,000 foreign nationals had been deported or left Cambodia voluntarily as part of its crackdown.
Legal action was also taken against officials allegedly linked to four cases involving 15 suspects, including a deputy prosecutor, a deputy director-general of immigration, a deputy Phnom Penh police commissioner and a former director-general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as several police and military officials.
Cambodian authorities have told diplomats and the international community that large-scale scam compounds are no longer operating in the country.
However, the government has acknowledged that some smaller groups remain and have moved their operations to more concealed locations, including vehicles, private homes and cafes.
Political analyst Seng Vannly described the suspension of online gambling at casinos as a positive step, but said its credibility would depend on how effectively it was implemented.
He said the government should clarify the scope of the suspension, how compliance would be monitored and what conditions would have to be met before online gambling could resume.
Seng Vannly said the suspension could give authorities more time to investigate suspicious financial flows, but warned that the measure alone would not solve the wider problem of online scams and technology-related crime.
He also stressed that online gambling and online scams were separate activities, although criminal networks could potentially use the same casino locations and financial systems for different operations.
Authorities should investigate alleged ringleaders, financiers and officials suspected of facilitating criminal networks, as well as trace illicit funds and strengthen cooperation with foreign governments, he said.
Seng Vannly also warned of potential economic consequences from the suspension, saying some casino workers could lose jobs and income, while businesses operating around casinos, including restaurants, landlords and transport providers, could also be affected.
However, the suspension of online gambling does not mean that all casinos will be closed. Mr Seng said the government should ensure that affected workers receive wages and benefits to which they are entitled, as well as assistance in finding alternative employment.
He also called for protection and assistance for people who had been forced to participate in online scam operations.
For analysts, however, the implementation of the policy, the authorities’ ability to trace illicit financial flows, and their success in dismantling criminal networks will be key measures of whether the new policy can effectively address Cambodia’s wider online scam problem.
