Cambodia's gambling regulator will inspect land-based casinos to verify operators comply with licence terms and have stopped online gambling. Yeth Vinel, secretary general of the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC), said inspectors who find illegal online operations will impose administrative sanctions and refer cases to law enforcement for criminal prosecution.
The plan was agreed at an October 5 meeting between CGMC and the secretariat of the Committee for Countering Online Scams (CCOS). The coordination involves representatives from 16 provinces with active casinos, including labour departments, police, immigration and prosecutors. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, CCOS vice-chair, said authorities will continue strict action against all platforms linked to online fraud.
The inspections follow Prime Minister Hun Manet's decision to suspend casino-based online betting from October. Interior Minister Sar Sokha explained in September that casino broadcasts make it difficult to monitor unclear financial flows. Authorities set a September 30 deadline for operators to stop.
The regulator said 24 casinos in Preah Sihanouk, Banteay Meanchey and Svay Rieng provinces have already halted online gambling and removed equipment. The ban covers livestream casino, online football betting and online lottery. Tourist arrivals to Cambodia fell 44.4% in the first eight months of 2026.
