The Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia issued an instruction on Feb. 19 to strengthen the management of illegal gambling in Cambodia, according to a report published by the Khmer Times on Feb. 211.
The instruction directs existing licensed commercial gambling agencies and relevant authorities, and aims to sustainably manage commercial gambling, maintain public order and social morality, and address illegal gambling1. Under it, existing licensed commercial gambling agencies must strictly comply with the conditions imposed by the license, including their visibility and scope of permit1.
It instructs concerned authorities to regularly manage and monitor the operation of licensed commercial gambling1. The directive also advised the authorities to cooperate with competent bodies to intervene in any illegal and unlicensed gambling, as well as any existing licensed gambling agencies that violate their permit1.
The instruction followed reports on unlicensed and illegal gambling of different types in some capital and provinces of Cambodia, which the report said severely affected public order, social security, the livelihoods of the people, and the safe village-commune policy of the government1.
"The instructive followed reports on unlicensed and illegal gambling of different types in some capital and provinces of Cambodia, severely affecting public order, social security, the livelihoods of the people, and the safe village-commune policy of the government."
The report did not name the specific capital or provinces involved, the types of illegal gambling reported, or any penalties attached to the instruction1. No deadline, enforcement date or list of agencies named in the instruction has been reported1.
What it means for players
The instruction restates the existing split in Cambodia: commercial gambling is permitted only through licensed agencies operating within the conditions of their license, while unlicensed gambling is treated as illegal1. For anyone gambling in Cambodia, whether resident or visiting, the practical dividing line is whether the venue or operator holds a license and stays inside its permitted scope. The instruction does not change the rules for players directly; it directs agencies and authorities to enforce the rules that already apply1. Details of which operators hold licenses, and what Cambodian law permits players to do, are set out in the site's guides to licensed casinos in Cambodia and Cambodia's gambling law.
What happens next
The instruction tells concerned authorities to regularly manage and monitor licensed commercial gambling and to cooperate with competent bodies to intervene in illegal and unlicensed gambling, and in licensed agencies that violate their permit1. No timeline, reporting requirement or follow-up announcement has been reported1.
Sources1 sources
- Instruction issued to manage illegal gambling, khmertimeskh.com
