Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered a strict crackdown on what he called "anarchic" illegal gambling across Cambodia and the closure of all locations that allowed gambling, according to a National Police briefing reported on October 17, 20221. The order followed a month of enforcement in which police said they raided more than 10,000 suspected illegal gambling sites and sent more than 200 people to court1.
National Police spokesman Lieutenant General Chhay Kim Khoeun said authorities enforced the law at 127 locations in 11 provincial capitals and other areas, and built cases against 273 people, including 56 foreigners representing 11 nationalities1. He gave the enforcement window as September 15 to October 131.
"From September 15 to October 13, authorities raided the suspected locations and took legal action against 127 locations"
The spokesman said other suspected locations did not have enough concrete evidence to build a case, but that authorities instructed their owners and made them sign a contract not to engage in gambling or face the law1. Hun Sen also ordered the closure of all cafes, noodle shops and all locations which allowed gambling, and warned of reprimanding officials who failed to implement his instructions1. He said unlicensed gambling did not benefit the national economy but instead led to gambling addiction and to people selling property such as cows, buffaloes or houses1.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Suspected sites raided nationwide | More than 10,0001 |
| Locations where authorities enforced the law | 127, in 11 provincial capitals and other areas1 |
| Enforcement window | September 15 to October 131 |
| People sent to court | More than 2001 |
| People against whom cases were built | 273, including 56 foreigners of 11 nationalities1 |
Heng Kimhong, head of the Research and Advocacy Programme at the Cambodian Youth Network Association, said the crackdown was ordered and followed government guidelines, and that authorities had tried to identify the masterminds behind illegal gambling dens1.
"Cambodia has had a law governing gambling for a long time, but the authorities have been unwilling to crack down on illegal gambling at all"
He said illegal gambling is a major cause of social unrest and crime in Cambodia, and that authorities must fully implement the law, especially by bringing ringleaders to justice1.
What it means for players
The order targets unlicensed gambling, not the licensed casino sector that operates under Cambodian law. The practical effect described in the reporting is on small, unlicensed venues: cafes, noodle shops and other premises where gambling was allowed were ordered closed, and owners of suspected sites that could not be prosecuted were made to sign contracts not to engage in gambling1. For anyone gambling in Cambodia, the enforcement figures show that police activity in September and October 2022 reached 127 locations across 11 provincial capitals and other areas, with cases built against 273 people, 56 of them foreign nationals of 11 nationalities1. The background to what is legal and what is not is set out in our guide to gambling in Cambodia and in gambling laws in Asia; the position of offshore operators is covered in whether it is illegal to use offshore gambling sites in Asia.
What happens next
Hun Sen warned that officials who fail to implement his instructions would be reprimanded1. The reporting does not set out a closing date for the crackdown, further enforcement targets or any change to the law itself; none of that has been reported1.
Sources1 sources
- Police raid over 10,000 gambling dens nationwide, khmertimeskh.com
