TLDR
- Cambodia revoked 20 casino licenses and suspended 29 more as part of a nationwide scam crackdown.
- Authorities acted against 751 scam facilities in total, with 605 already shut down.
- Courts received 388 cases involving 4,147 suspects from 27 nationalities between July 2025 and July 2026.
- Officials say scam centers operate as organized criminal networks using encrypted apps and VoIP calls.
- Cambodia’s tourism arrivals fell 47.8% in the first five months of 2026 amid the ongoing scrutiny.
Cambodia has revoked the licenses of 20 casinos as part of a nationwide crackdown on online scam centers. Another 29 casino licenses have been suspended while investigations continue.
The information came from the Secretariat of the Ad Hoc Commission for Combating Online Scams. The state news agency Agence Kampuchea Presse reported the details.
Authorities have taken action against 751 scam facilities across the country. Of these, 605 have already been shut down.
Investigators reviewed all 195 licensed casinos operating in Cambodia. The review was part of a wider effort to find links between casinos and scam operations.
Cases Sent To Courts
Courts received 388 cases for trial between July 2025 and July 31, 2026. These cases involved 4,147 suspects from 27 different nationalities.
The prosecutions followed Cambodian law. Officials did not release a breakdown of suspects by nationality.
The report also did not name which casinos were tied to specific cases. No details were given about individual charges.
Touch Sokhak, deputy spokesperson for Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, said the results show the government’s effort to fight online scams. He said Cambodia should not become a base for money laundering or technology crime.
How The Scam Networks Operate
Sokhak said the Anti-Cyber Crime Department found that these scam centers work as organized criminal networks. He said they are not run like ordinary fraud operations.
Managers and team leaders set targets for workers inside the centers. They also supervise staff and collect information from victims.
The criminals use high speed internet, Voice over Internet Protocol calls, and encrypted apps. These tools help hide their identity and location.
Some scams reported by authorities include cryptocurrency investment fraud, romance scams, and illegal online lending. These schemes target victims both inside and outside Cambodia.
The crackdown follows outside concern about scam centers based in Cambodia. Amnesty International said earlier this year that the government renewed licenses for 12 casinos despite claims of human rights abuses at those sites.
Cambodia’s government has since named the fight against scam linked casinos a top priority. The newest license actions are part of that ongoing effort.
Authorities have not said whether the 20 revoked licenses connect to confirmed scam activity. They also did not explain the reason for each suspension.
The scam center issue has hurt Cambodia’s tourism industry. International tourist arrivals dropped 47.8% during the first five months of 2026.
The decline happened as the crackdown continued and international scrutiny grew. Tourism numbers show the wider effect of the scam center issue on the country’s image.
So far, authorities have closed 605 of the 751 targeted locations. They have also taken licensing action against 49 casinos in total.
The prosecution of 4,147 suspects is still moving through Cambodia’s court system. Officials say the effort to break up organized scam networks in the country continues.
