Cambodia Details One-Year Results of Online Scam Operations Targeting Licensed Casinos

The Cambodian government released findings from a nationwide review of its licensed casino sector that identified direct links to online fraud operations, and Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith presented the one-year report to a Cabinet meeting in July 2026. Between June 2025 and June 2026 authorities examined all 195 licensed casinos and determined that 72 of them participated in online scam activities, while parallel raids targeted 737 separate scam centers across the country.

Scope of the Inspection Process

Inspectors visited 28,500 locations during the reporting period, and the review covered every casino holding a valid operating license at the start of the campaign. The data showed that the 72 implicated casinos represented a significant portion of the total licensed base, and authorities moved quickly to impose license actions once the connections to fraud networks became clear. Nineteen casino licenses faced full revocation while another thirty received suspensions, measures that removed those venues from legal operation while the cases advanced through the courts.

Deportation proceedings resulted in the removal of more than 21,100 foreign nationals who had worked at or visited the identified scam centers, and 268 separate criminal cases moved forward under the same coordinated effort. Officials documented patterns of organized fraud that relied on casino premises for infrastructure and cover, which prompted the broad geographic sweep that included both urban and rural sites.

Key Enforcement Actions and Outcomes

Raids on the 737 online scam centers formed the core of the operational response, and teams executed those actions in coordination with local police units. The inspection total of 28,500 locations reflected repeated checks at high-risk sites as well as initial visits to verify compliance across the casino network. License revocations and suspensions took effect after evidence tied specific venues to call-center style fraud rings that targeted victims internationally.

Foreign nationals accounted for the majority of individuals removed from the country, and deportation numbers exceeded 21,100 by the close of the reporting year. The 268 cases now under active pursuit include charges related to fraud, money laundering, and illegal operation of online platforms from within casino properties. These proceedings continue to advance through Cambodian courts as additional evidence is compiled from the raided sites.

International Cooperation Elements

The report highlighted joint work with foreign law enforcement agencies that supplied intelligence on scam networks operating across borders. Cambodian authorities shared operational data with counterparts in several countries where victims had reported losses, and those exchanges helped identify specific locations tied to international fraud campaigns. Cross-border coordination also supported the identification of foreign nationals who faced deportation after their roles in the scam centers were confirmed.

Officials noted that the crackdown produced actionable leads for partner agencies, and information from the 737 raided centers contributed to ongoing investigations outside Cambodia. The presentation to the Cabinet included details on how these partnerships strengthened the domestic effort without specifying individual case outcomes still before the courts.

Regulatory Changes Following the Review

Revocation of 19 licenses and suspension of 30 others altered the regulatory landscape for Cambodia's casino sector, and remaining operators received updated compliance directives. The nationwide inspection established new baseline standards for monitoring licensed venues to prevent future involvement in online fraud. Authorities continue to process teh 268 cases while maintaining oversight of the 195 casinos originally reviewed.

Data from the one-year period showed that fraud operations had integrated into portions of the licensed casino infrastructure, which led to the targeted enforcement actions described in the report. The scale of inspections and raids reflected the geographic spread of the identified centers, and the deportation figures illustrated the international dimension of the workforce at those locations.

Conclusion

The Cambodian government's one-year report on its online scam crackdown, presented by Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, documented inspections of all 195 licensed casinos with 72 found connected to fraud, raids on 737 centers, examination of 28,500 locations, revocation of 19 licenses, suspension of 30 others, deportation of over 21,100 foreign nationals, and pursuit of 268 cases, while noting international cooperation efforts. These figures come from the official review covering June 2025 through June 2026. One-year report into online scam crackdown provides additional context on the enforcement timeline.