Casino Licenses Revoked Amid Investigation into Scam Operations in Cambodia

Eight casino licenses revoked recently

The Commercial Gambling Management Commission (CGMC) reported at least eight casino licenses revoked between April and early May for hosting scam operations and violating Cambodia’s gambling laws.

More than 1,100 mostly foreign nationals were detained in raids over the last few weeks linked to the revocations, while authorities seized thousands of phones and hundreds of computers and monitors they said were used in online fraud.

The crackdown has left untouched several other casinos tied to alleged scam and human trafficking networks, including at least two operated by a firm owned by Cambodian senator Kok An, whom a Senate spokesperson said retained “immunity” after the United States sanctioned him last month over alleged links to the operations. Kok An has denied involvement in scam activities.

Rights groups and the U.S. government have identified the properties as hubs for the illicit industry, but there have been no official reports that they were shut or had their licenses revoked as authorities pursue a public campaign to eradicate scam networks following mounting international scrutiny this year.

Rus Phirun, former secretary-general of the CGMC, said he could not comment on the license revocations or whether charges had been brought against casino owners, saying he was “not in charge of this work anymore.” 

CamboJA News was unable to obtain contact information for Yun Vina, who now holds the position, while calls to the CGMC hotline went unanswered.

The eight casinos in Preah Sihanouk, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Svay Rieng provinces that had their licenses revoked by the regulator since April include Jin Yu Man Tang Casino, Xin Hao Peak Casino, Eagle King Casino, Orchid Hotel & Rich Casino, Zhong Huawei Golden Sand International Entertainment and Golden Galaxy Casino.

Authorities on April 6 also revoked the licenses of Gang Dao Casino in Sihanoukville and Shanghai Resort Casino in Bavet.

The government said it had shut down 91 casinos and more than 250 online scam locations between July 2025 and mid-April this year, while deporting more than 13,000 foreigners allegedly involved in the industry, though it did not clarify how many may have been trafficked or coerced.

Casinos, many clustered along Cambodia’s border areas, have frequently been identified as fronts for scam compounds. The United Nations has said the compounds in the region generate tens of billions of dollars annually and relies on at least 300,000 workers from dozens of countries, many of them trafficked, forced or coerced into the operations.

Cambodia once had 160 operating casinos in 2025, according to the CGMC, most concentrated in Sihanoukville, Bavet and Poipet, cities that have become known as hubs for scam syndicates.

An Amnesty International investigation published in April alleged that at least 12 licensed casino complexes in Cambodia were directly linked to scam compounds where trafficking victims said they were subjected to forced labor, torture, enslavement and other abuses. 

The rights group said CGMC approved or renewed casino plans for several properties in December and January despite evidence the compounds operated on casino grounds.

Despite a senior law enforcement official saying the findings would be used for enforcement action, none of the casinos named in the report appear to have had their licenses revoked, owners arrested or operations shut down.

Eagle King Casino, one of the casinos stripped of its license earlier this month for hosting scam operations, is operated by TS Chamnong Investment Co. Ltd.

The company is chaired by the sister-in-law of former Defense Minister Tea Banh, San Chamnong, according to Ministry of Commerce corporate records and local media reports. Its director is Tea Samnamg, reportedly his niece.

Calls to a phone number listed for Chamnong in corporate records went unanswered, while Samnamg’s listed number was disconnected.

Statements by authorities

Chhoeng Chantha, a technical adviser to the regulator, said the agency was organizing a team to handle media inquiries but did not provide a timeframe and referred additional questions to the institution’s Telegram channel.

Chantha said no individual official could respond to questions about efforts to combat scam operations because the raids involved multiple authorities. He added that the regulator could not independently respond to the Amnesty report, but did not clarify who had instructed the agency not to comment.

“Only the government can respond, and we are also waiting. This is only my personal response and does not represent the institution where I work,” he said.

Touch Sokhak, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CGMC said it would continue cooperating with relevant authorities to inspect and search casino premises.

Prime Minister Hun Manet previously pledged to eliminate online scam operations in the country by the end of April, though officials later dismissed the deadline as a “rumor” and said the crackdown would continue indefinitely.

Observers and activists have criticized the enforcement campaign as falling short of holding alleged syndicate leaders and connected officials criminally accountable.

Independent political analyst Meas Nee said previous arrests had largely targeted workers inside scam compounds, while casino operators and alleged masterminds had avoided legal action.

“Revoking licenses alone is not enough,” he said. “When we talk about online crime, we also have to talk about those providing the means and support for it.”