Cambodia reviews draft measure to strengthen response to illegal gambling

Cambodian authorities are reviewing draft legislation aimed at strengthening penalties for illegal gambling and creating a more consistent enforcement framework, with the Justice Ministry, Interior Ministry, police and Commercial Gambling Management Commission taking part in discussions in Phnom Penh.

Cambodia has begun reviewing a draft legal measure intended to strengthen the country’s response to illegal gambling and bring enforcement more closely into line with its existing commercial gambling framework. Representatives of four government bodies met in Phnom Penh on August 10 to examine the proposal and discuss how responsibilities should be coordinated between regulators and law-enforcement agencies.

The meeting involved officials from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, police force and Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC). According to reports on the discussions, the draft is intended to make the treatment of illegal gambling offences more consistent with provisions governing the regulated commercial gaming sector while improving cooperation between the institutions responsible for enforcement.

Detailed penalty levels have not yet been made public, and there is currently no announced timetable for approval or implementation. The proposal therefore remains at the review stage rather than representing an adopted change to Cambodian gambling law. Officials are examining both the legal provisions and the practical mechanisms required for coordinated enforcement.

Cambodia currently operates under several layers of gambling legislation. The Law on the Suppression of Gambling dates from 1996, while the Law on the Management of Commercial Gambling, which entered into force in November 2020, created a more comprehensive framework for regulated commercial gaming and established the institutional basis for licensing and supervision by the CGMC. The 2020 legislation sets rules for casino and other commercial gaming activities and gives the regulator powers covering licensing, inspections and enforcement.

The latest legal review comes during a broader tightening of gambling and casino oversight. Cambodian authorities have been preparing nationwide evaluations of licensed casinos, while the CGMC has been reviewing inspection standards, management of licensed gaming personnel and its regulatory priorities for the second half of 2026.

Recent enforcement activity illustrates the scale of the challenge. Government information cited in July indicated that inspections had covered 195 licensed casinos and that 72 casino venues had ceased operations. Of those, 19 reportedly had their licences revoked in connection with online fraud, 30 had licences suspended and 23 stopped operating after their licences expired. Authorities also reported hundreds of investigations into suspected scam locations during the year to June 30.

The CGMC has separately demonstrated its willingness to use licensing powers against individual properties. In July, for example, the regulator revoked the licence of Casino Kchom in Kampot province following an investigation into alleged online scam activity and related offences. That action followed other licence suspensions and revocations connected with regulatory violations and suspected criminal operations.

The August 10 meeting suggests that Cambodia is now seeking to complement individual enforcement operations with a clearer legal structure for dealing with illegal gambling nationwide. A more consistent division of responsibilities between the Justice Ministry, Interior Ministry, police and gambling regulator could be particularly important where cases involve both licensing violations and potential criminal offences.

For the regulated gambling industry, the final wording of the draft will determine whether operators face new penalties, enforcement procedures or compliance obligations. For now, however, the measure remains under review. Its significance will become clearer once authorities publish the proposed provisions and establish a timetable for adoption, but the initiative reinforces Cambodia’s broader shift toward tighter supervision of gambling operations and stronger coordination between regulatory and law-enforcement bodies.