Cambodia's Casino Inspections Reveal Deep Ties to Online Fraud Operations

Authorities across Cambodia completed a nationwide review of every licensed casino as part of a one-year effort to dismantle online scam networks, and the findings showed clear connections at a substantial number of sites. The inspection covered all 195 licensed casinos operating in the country, and investigators determined that 72 of them had participated in online fraud activities during the review period. This single statistic emerged from a broader set of operations that ran from June 2025 through June 2026, a timeframe in which law enforcement raided 737 online scam centers while inspecting a total of 28,500 locations suspected of involvement in fraudulent schemes.

Scope of the Nationwide Review

The Cambodian government compiled these results into an official one-year report that Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith submitted to Prime Minister Hun Manet in July 2026. The document outlined both the scale of the inspections and the specific enforcement steps taken against casino operators found to be facilitating scam operations. License actions formed a central part of the response, with 19 casino licenses revoked outright, 30 others suspended pending further review, and 23 additional licenses allowed to expire without renewal after operators chose not to continue. These measures reduced the number of active licensed casinos while sending a direct signal to remaining operators about regulatory expectations.

Raids and location inspections occurred in coordinated waves throughout the twelve-month period, and officials tracked every action through detailed records that later fed into the final report. The 737 raided scam centers represented targeted strikes against facilities identified through intelligence gathering and public tips, while the 28,500 inspected locations included a wide range of buildings suspected of housing call centers or data-processing hubs used for online fraud. Many of these sites operated under the cover of legitimate businesses before authorities moved in, and the sheer volume of inspections reflected the depth of the problem authorities sought to address.

Official Statements and Enforcement Outcomes

Prime Minister Hun Manet described the report as evidence of meaningful progress in the ongoing campaign against online scams. He highlighted the combination of domestic enforcement actions and international cooperation that supported the effort, including deportations of foreign nationals linked to scam operations. The senior minister's submission emphasized both the immediate results of the raids and the structural changes achieved through license revocations and suspensions. Observers note that these steps reduced the operational capacity of networks that had previously used casino premises to coordinate large-scale fraud campaigns targeting victims abroad.

Deportations formed another key element of the year's activities, and the report recorded the removal of individuals identified during raids as having played direct roles in running scam centers. International cooperation provided critical support through information sharing and joint investigations, allowing Cambodian authorities to trace networks that extended beyond national borders. The combination of these efforts produced measurable reductions in active scam operations by the end of the review period, though officials acknowledged that continued vigilance would be required to prevent new centers from emerging.

License Actions and Industry Adjustments

The revocation of 19 licenses and suspension of 30 others occurred after investigators established clear links between the casinos and online fraud activities. Another 23 operators simply let their licenses lapse once the inspection process began, a development that further trimmed the total number of active facilities. These changes took place alongside the broader raids and inspections, creating a multi-pronged approach that combined immediate disruption with longer-term regulatory pressure. Casino operators who remained in business received clear guidance on compliance requirements, and the report noted that future inspections would continue to monitor adherence to anti-fraud rules.

Data compiled during the twelve months showed that many scam operations had relied on casino infrastructure for both physical space and financial processing, which explained why the nationwide casino review became a central focus of the crackdown. The 72 casinos identified as involved represented more than one-third of the total licensed sector, a proportion that prompted the government to implement the license actions described in the report. Those figures, along with the raid counts and inspection totals, now serve as benchmarks for measuring progress in subsequent enforcement periods.

Conclusion

The one-year report submitted by Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith and highlighted by Prime Minister Hun Manet documented a sustained campaign that combined large-scale inspections with targeted license enforcement. Between June 2025 and June 2026, authorities raided 737 scam centers, inspected 28,500 locations, and acted against 72 of the 195 licensed casinos found to be connected to online fraud. The resulting license revocations, suspensions, and expirations, together with deportations and international cooperation, produced concrete reductions in operational capacity for the networks involved. The findings establish a clear record of activity that will inform continued enforcement efforts in the months ahead.