Cambodian police raided five illegal gambling sites in Sihanoukville and detained more than 1,000 foreigners of 10 nationalities, the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration said. The detentions were made on suspicion of human trafficking, prostitution, online gambling and breaching immigration laws1.
The raids were carried out by a ministry team working with Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities, which said it identified multiple foreign suspects1. The operations formed part of an eight-day nationwide crackdown on illegal gambling, according to Sok Phal, secretary of state at the Ministry of Interior and head of the national working group on illegal gambling1.
Sok Phal gave the government's assessment of the campaign at a September 30 meeting in Sihanoukville with Preah Sihanouk province governor Kuoch Chamroeun1.
"We all know that we have busted hundreds of places, and now gambling has died out, with more than 90 percent of illegal dens closed down. Despite this, there are still a few locations running their businesses, so we will cooperate with the authorities of Preah Sihanouk and other provinces to shut them down."
The provincial administration said the working group would keep inspecting all locations suspected of unlicensed use and would take strict legal action against business owners wherever crimes are found1.
Separately, Men Eng, deputy governor of Svay Rieng province, led a team on October 1 to inspect a venue called Bak Sey Keila inside the New World Casino in Bavet City, after reports that it hosted cockfighting and online poker and allowed Cambodians to gamble1. Eng said the inspection found the casino holds a valid license running until 2026, issued by the General Secretariat of the Cambodian Gambling Management Commission1. He said the cockfighting was not played by Cambodians as reported, and that the manager of the bird sport venue confirmed Cambodians were not allowed to play there but that Cambodian staff were employed1.
In Phnom Penh, deputy governor Khliang Huot said illegal pawnshops are a source of crime and gambling and affect the livelihoods of low-income people, and that pawnshops accepting stolen goods or items with insufficient documentation in Toul Kork's Khang Romsev and other locations must be eliminated1.
| Location | Action | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Sihanoukville | Five illegal gambling sites raided | More than 1,000 foreigners of 10 nationalities held1 |
| Bavet City, Svay Rieng | New World Casino inspected October 1 | License valid until 2026; no Cambodians found playing cockfighting1 |
| Phnom Penh, Toul Kork | Pawnshop enforcement ordered | Pawnshops taking stolen or undocumented goods to be eliminated1 |
What it means for players
The detentions in Sihanoukville involved foreigners, and the stated grounds included breaching immigration laws alongside online gambling, so foreign nationals present at unlicensed venues face immigration as well as gambling exposure1. The government's own figure is that more than 90 percent of illegal gambling operators have stopped, which means unlicensed venues that remain open are the ones authorities say they are still targeting1.
Licensed premises are treated differently. The New World Casino in Bavet was found to hold a license valid until 2026, and the inspection did not result in a finding that Cambodians were gambling there1. Cambodia's rules on who may gamble and where are set out in our guide to gambling in Cambodia for foreigners and our general Cambodia gambling guide.
The crackdown also covered pawnshops in Phnom Penh, which officials linked to crime and gambling1. For background on how illegal and fake operations work in the country, see our page on fake casino sites and gambling scams in Cambodia, and for reporting routes and warning signs across the region, our guide to gambling scams and safety in Asia.
What happens next
Sok Phal said the ministry will cooperate with Preah Sihanouk and other provincial authorities to shut down the remaining locations still operating1. The working group said it will continue to inspect all locations suspected of unlicensed use and take legal action against owners where crimes are discovered1.
No timeline for the next phase of inspections, and no outcome for the more than 1,000 people detained, has been reported1.
Sources1 sources
- '90 per cent' of gambling closed down, says official - Phnom Penh Post, phnompenhpost.com
