Cambodia to Suspend Casino-Based Online Gambling From October Amid Scam Crackdown

Cambodia will temporarily suspend online gambling operations run or broadcast from casinos nationwide starting in October, as authorities tighten controls over suspicious financial flows and step up a broader crackdown on technology-related scams.

Cambodia is preparing to suspend online gambling activities operated or livestreamed from casino premises across the country from October 2026.

Interior Minister Sar Sokha confirmed the decision on September 5, saying it follows an instruction from Prime Minister Hun Manet. Authorities have found that online betting conducted from casinos creates significant difficulties in monitoring financial flows and determining the origin of funds involved.

During the suspension, government ministries and regulators will be tasked with strengthening the framework governing such activities. This is expected to include new legal and regulatory measures, improved digital monitoring infrastructure and the training of specialised personnel.

No date has been set for online operations to resume. The government says they will only be reconsidered once stronger supervisory mechanisms are in place. Casinos that continue prohibited online gambling activities after the October deadline could face licence revocation and other legal action.

The measure comes alongside a much wider crackdown on technology-related scam networks, some of which authorities say have operated from casino properties. On September 8, the Cambodian government confirmed that licences belonging to 18 casinos linked to online scam activity had been revoked, while another nine had been suspended pending further investigations.

Authorities are also working with financial intelligence agencies, police, prosecutors and courts to seize or freeze assets connected to casino companies and individuals suspected of involvement in online scam offences.

Cambodia has already maintained strict restrictions on online gambling for several years. The government stopped issuing new online gambling licences in 2019 and ceased renewing existing permits when they expired, with nationwide inspections beginning in 2020. The latest action therefore specifically targets online betting operations that continue to be run or broadcast from casino premises.

The October suspension shows that Cambodia is moving towards closer integration of gambling regulation, financial monitoring and its campaign against online fraud. Whether casino-based online gambling is eventually allowed to return will now depend on the government's ability to create a regulatory system capable of tracking transactions and preventing gambling infrastructure from being used by criminal networks.