Gambling Laws in Cambodia

Who can play

Cambodia's gambling rules split cleanly along nationality lines. If you hold a foreign passport, you can walk into a licensed casino and play, as long as you show your passport to casino staff⁵. There are more than 75 casinos in the country that cater exclusively to foreign nationals⁶, and the games on offer range from baccarat and Dragon Tiger to slots and poker.

If you are a Cambodian citizen, the picture is the opposite. Gambling is illegal for citizens under the Law on the Suppression of Gambling, adopted in 1996, and later laws have repeated the ban for casinos specifically, though citizens may play government-sponsored lotteries⁷. The one practical wrinkle: Cambodians who also hold a foreign passport have been treated as eligible to play, since entry turns on the passport you present rather than your citizenship alone⁸.

For a broader look at what this means in practice, see our page on gambling in Cambodia and on gambling in Cambodia as a visitor.

Cambodian citizens: casinos and most gambling are off-limits

The core rule dates to the mid-1990s. The Law on the Suppression of Gambling outlawed most types of gambling in Cambodia, and it prohibits gambling outside licensed premises, working as a gambling agent, and running a gambling den⁹. Gambling of all kinds, in all places throughout the kingdom, is strictly prohibited except where the Royal Government permits it¹⁰.

The modern casino law, the Law on the Management of Integrated Resorts and Commercial Gambling, was enacted in 2020 and tightened the framework. It mandates strict accounting practices and prohibits Cambodians, including public officials, from gambling in casinos¹¹. Article 68 of the law spells it out: all Cambodian people, including members of the armed forces, public servants and elected officials, are banned from entering casinos or commercial gaming facilities to gamble².

The ban is not limited to casino floors. Cambodians are not allowed to run gambling centers and are banned from all sorts of gambling, including online gambling¹². Even bingo, which is legal for foreign visitors, is illegal for Cambodians to participate in or host¹³. Any poker game held outside a licensed commercial casino is considered illegal under the Gambling Suppression Law¹⁴.

The only outlet for citizens has been government-sponsored gambling, which has included five privately run lotteries⁶. For more on that side of things, see the Cambodia lottery.

Enforcement at the door is real. Internal security officers have been stationed outside casinos to perform checks and prohibit the entrance of Cambodians¹⁵, and gamblers must possess foreign passports to enter Cambodian casinos⁶.

What happens if a Cambodian is caught

The penalties are set out in the old suppression law and still apply. Punters at illegal gambling houses face a fine and up to a year in prison⁴. More generally, Cambodians caught gambling face high fines or detention by the relevant units¹⁶. Anyone caught gambling near a casino will be prosecuted⁵.

In practice, enforcement has been uneven. The Law on Suppression of Gambling has been loosely enforced over the years⁷. But local authorities do crack down when they choose to: in Takeo province, officials have enforced the online gambling ban strictly, on the grounds that gambling is legally banned in the kingdom and no exceptions will be made¹⁷. The practical risk for a Cambodian caught gambling is a fine, detention, or prosecution, regardless of how rarely it happens.

Casinos: licensed venues for foreigners

For foreign visitors, the casino side of Cambodia is straightforward. Gambling is allowed only for foreigners, and only at licensed casinos¹², and the industry exists largely because foreigners are allowed to lay bets while locals are not¹⁸.

The venues range from large integrated resorts to small border halls, and there are over 75 casinos across the country that cater exclusively to foreign nationals¹⁹. NagaWorld in Phnom Penh is the flagship. At the border towns, the halls draw players from neighboring countries, and Vietnamese gamblers from across the border are known to frequent the casinos there too²⁰. Ha Tien Vegas, near the Vietnamese border, is a casino catering only to foreign passport holders, and it may request your passport and visa according to Cambodia's gambling regulations²¹.

Casino operators have their own house rules on top of the law. Games that cater to groups of people are prohibited²². For details on specific venues and games, see our pages on casinos in Cambodia, NagaWorld, baccarat in Cambodia and Dragon Tiger.

Where casinos can be built

Cambodia's casino map is a deliberate policy choice. The government established the areas along the borders for building casinos and allows some in Phnom Penh². Today, casinos operate in Phnom Penh, Banteay Meanchey, Svay Rieng, Kampot, Pailin and Preah Sihanouk provinces¹.

The older rule of thumb was that casinos are not allowed to be built within 200 kilometers of Phnom Penh, with exceptions for the Cambodian border areas, Bokor Mountain and Kirilung¹⁶. The border logic is visible in the clusters at the border towns, each drawing gamblers who cross over from neighboring countries²⁰.

One place casinos cannot go is Siem Reap's Angkor area, which the laws bar outright¹⁹. And the government has stopped new projects in some provinces: the prime minister has banned the establishment of new casinos in Kep and Kampot²³. For venue-level detail, see casinos in Phnom Penh, casinos in Sihanoukville, casinos in Poipet and casinos in Bavet.

Online betting

Online gambling is outlawed across the board. In August 2019 the government issued a policy banning online gambling²⁴, and operators were ordered to stop all forms of online gambling by the end of 2019³. The prime minister formally banned all online gambling, restricting internet gaming services, and no licenses are issued⁹. There are no regulated online casinos in the country, not only for residents but for anyone in Cambodia⁹.

The suppression law reaches online activity too: betting is illegal even if the process is online, according to the Law on the Suppression of Gambling adopted by the National Assembly in 1996²⁵. Online gaming via agents, such as internet cafés running betting services, is explicitly illegal²⁶.

Despite the ban, online gambling remains a serious problem in the kingdom, with many betting sites appearing to operate freely²⁸ and unfettered online gambling sites targeting Cambodians²⁹. Police have smashed online betting rings²⁵, and using foreign sites can constitute illegal gambling, though authorities rarely prosecute locals for it⁹.

One recent change matters even to foreign visitors: starting in early October 2026, the government will suspend online betting and gambling activities at casinos in order to review and improve the regulatory mechanisms²⁷. If you are planning a trip, check the current status before assuming casino-run online betting is available. For more, see online gambling in Cambodia and online poker in Cambodia.

Minimum age

The legal casino gambling age in Cambodia is 18⁹. Foreign passport holders can play legally upon reaching 18¹⁴, and under the commercial gambling law, minors under 18 years of age are restricted from playing³⁰. In practice this means bringing ID: casinos ask for passports anyway to confirm nationality, so the age check happens at the same time.

Resident or visitor: which rules apply to you

The rules that apply to you depend on your passport, not your address. A foreigner living in Phnom Penh for years is still a foreigner: they can gamble at licensed casinos, because the ban applies to Cambodian citizens rather than to residents as such¹². A Cambodian citizen who has lived abroad for decades is still a Cambodian: they cannot enter a casino to gamble, unless they hold a second passport and use it⁸.

For visitors, the practical points are simple. You need your passport, and a casino may also request your visa under Cambodia's gambling regulations³¹. You must be at least 18. Online betting, even through a casino, is currently suspended while the government reviews the rules²⁷. If you are a Cambodian planning to gamble abroad instead, see our page on gambling trips abroad from Cambodia.

Before you visit a casino

A few practical points will make a first visit smoother:

• Bring your passport. Every licensed casino serves foreign passport holders only, and staff may ask for your passport and visa at the door³¹. A driver's license or residence card will not do.
• Expect the games to be aimed at Asian players. Baccarat and Dragon Tiger dominate the floors, alongside slots and, at the larger resorts, poker. See casino games in Cambodia for what to expect.
• Know where the casinos are. The main clusters are Phnom Penh, the border towns and Sihanoukville; Siem Reap's Angkor area is off-limits for casinos¹⁹.
• Watch for scams. Because online gambling is unregulated and much of it is illegal, scam sites targeting both locals and foreigners are common. See gambling scams in Cambodia before you hand over money anywhere.
• If it goes wrong, help exists. Problem gambling support options are listed on our gambling help in Cambodia page.

The short version: Cambodia is one of the easiest countries in Asia for a foreign visitor to gamble in, and one of the hardest for its own citizens. Bring a passport, stick to licensed venues, and keep online betting off your list until the current suspension is resolved.