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Cambodia Delivers One-Year Report on Online Scam Crackdown Targeting Licensed Casinos

Jonas Schmitt · Jul 28, 2026

Cambodia Delivers One-Year Report on Online Scam Crackdown Targeting Licensed Casinos

Cambodian government officials reviewing casino inspection reports during a cabinet meeting in Phnom Penh The Cambodian government released its one-year report covering June 2025 through June 2026 that summarized a nationwide inspection of all 195 licensed casinos and identified 72 facilities connected to online fraud operations. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith submitted the document to the July 24 Cabinet meeting where Prime Minister Hun Manet offered praise for the enforcement outcomes. The inspection formed the core of efforts to disrupt scam networks that had used casino licenses as cover for coordinated online criminal activity across the country.

Inspection Findings and Immediate Regulatory Responses

The report documented how inspectors examined every one of the 195 licensed casinos and determined that 72 had participated in online fraud schemes. Authorities responded by revoking 19 licenses outright while suspending 30 others and allowing 23 additional casinos to cease operations once their existing licenses reached expiry. These measures reduced the number of active venues that could serve as bases for fraudulent operations and established clearer boundaries between legitimate gaming and criminal misuse of regulatory approvals.

Officials noted that the inspection process required coordination among multiple government agencies and produced a clear record of which facilities had permitted their premises or licenses to support online scam centers. The resulting actions created a direct link between identified violations and specific regulatory penalties that included license revocation and suspension along with the natural expiration of permits for facilities that failed to meet compliance standards.

Raids Conducted and Deportation Statistics

Alongside the casino inspections the report recorded 737 raids on scam centers operating throughout the country. These operations resulted in more than 21,100 deportations of individuals connected to the fraudulent activities. The figures reflect sustained enforcement that combined site closures with removal of foreign nationals who had participated in the schemes and illustrated the scale of resources directed toward dismantling physical infrastructure used for online fraud.

Security forces conducting raids on scam centers as part of Cambodia's nationwide crackdown

The deportation total covered a twelve-month period and demonstrated consistent application of immigration enforcement alongside the casino-specific measures. Each raid contributed to the overall count while the cumulative deportations showed how authorities tracked and removed participants from multiple centers rather than focusing on isolated incidents. The report presented these numbers as evidence of coordinated action that addressed both the licensed venues and the separate scam facilities that had operated outside formal regulatory structures.

International Cooperation and Cabinet Presentation

The document also described strengthened international cooperation that allowed Cambodian authorities to share intelligence and coordinate with foreign law enforcement agencies on cross-border elements of the scam networks. This cooperation supported the domestic raids and deportations by providing additional information on operational patterns and participant identities. The report positioned these partnerships as an ongoing component of the enforcement strategy rather than a one-time effort.

When Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith presented the findings at the July 24 Cabinet meeting Prime Minister Hun Manet acknowledged the results and the structured approach taken during the reporting period. The presentation covered the inspection outcomes the license actions the raid statistics and the deportation figures in a single comprehensive summary that connected each element to the broader goal of reducing online fraud facilitated through casino licenses.

Scope of the Reporting Period

The twelve-month timeframe from June 2025 to June 2026 allowed authorities to track both immediate enforcement results and longer-term regulatory adjustments. The report compiled data from the initial inspections through the final license actions and included updates on how suspended or revoked facilities were monitored after the penalties took effect. Observers noted that this continuous documentation provided a baseline for evaluating whether similar inspection cycles would be required in subsequent periods.

Those who reviewed the report observed that the 72 casinos identified represented a substantial portion of the total licensed venues and that the distribution of penalties reflected a graduated response rather than uniform punishment. The 19 revocations addressed the most direct violations while the 30 suspensions and 23 expirations accounted for facilities with varying levels of involvement or different operational circumstances. This differentiation allowed regulators to apply penalties calibrated to the specific findings at each location.

Conclusion

The one-year report delivered a factual account of inspections raids license actions and deportations that together formed Cambodia's response to online scam operations linked to licensed casinos. The document submitted in July 2026 recorded the concrete outcomes of enforcement during the specified period and outlined the role of international cooperation in supporting those efforts. The data presented in the report remains available for reference as authorities continue to address online fraud through regulatory and operational measures.