Kampong Speu provincial governor Vei Samnang instructed town and district governors across the province to cease creating new lottery businesses and to crack down on all illegal games of chance, in a letter dated February 91. He said authorities must act against all forms of gambling, regardless of their legal status1.
The letter tied the order to the government's safe village-commune policy, which the governor said must be applied consistently to ensure peace, development and improved livelihoods, and to strengthen public confidence in the government and relevant authorities1.
"We request town and district governors to suspend issuing licenses for all types of lotto businesses and games of luck."
The same instruction added that officials must continue to investigate and suppress illegal gambling locations within their jurisdiction and pursue legal action stringently1.
On February 10, the provincial police announced on social media that under the governor's directive they had acted to prohibit all forms of beer advertising, including posters and billboards, an effort the report described as lauded nationally as exemplary for other provinces1. The police statement said the initiative reflected the governor's firm stance and that town and district governors, commune and village administrations were expected to join in enforcing the orders fully and effectively1.
The measures drew comment from outside the province. Preah Sihanouk provincial deputy governor Long Dimanche said on February 11 that his provincial administration has consistently directed police to clamp down on illegal gambling, as part of enforcing the safe village-commune policy, and that the province's commercial gambling is under continuous scrutiny by the Commercial Gambling Management Commission1. He said the Ministries of Interior and Economy and Finance have overseen the operation meticulously and that the province is committed to preventing any form of illegal gambling at the grassroots level1.
Am Sam Ath, operations director at the rights group LICADHO, endorsed the Kampong Speu administration's actions, noting that gambling has impacted social security, leading to violence and thefts1. He cautioned that the approach would succeed only if officials at all levels adhered to and executed the orders effectively, and said it is crucial that these officials refrain from participating in gambling1. He said the campaign's effectiveness could be measured against the province's ban on beer advertising1.
What it means for players
The order applies to Kampong Speu province and covers two things: new lottery licenses, which town and district governors are told to stop issuing, and illegal gambling locations, which officials are told to investigate and suppress1. It does not, on the reported text, cancel licenses already held or close licensed commercial gambling in the province. Cambodia's rules on what gambling is legal, who may operate it and who may play are set out in the country's gambling law, and the lottery in Cambodia has its own rules on who can play and how.
For anyone in the province, the practical effect reported so far is a licensing freeze on new lotto businesses and a stated push against unlicensed games of chance1. The report gives no list of venues closed, no number of operators affected and no figures for money involved. Whether the crackdown changes access to legal lottery products in Kampong Speu has not been reported. Players weighing any operator can check who licenses what in the region through the guide to gambling regulators and licenses, and the risks of playing on unlicensed gambling sites are set out separately. General background on gambling in the country is in Can I gamble in Cambodia?.
What happens next
The letter is dated February 9 and the provincial police announcement followed on February 101. No deadline, inspection schedule or penalty for non-compliance was reported. LICADHO's Am Sam Ath said the results should be judged against the province's beer advertising ban, and that enforcement depends on officials at all levels carrying out the orders and staying out of gambling themselves1. No outcome of the campaign has been reported.
Sources1 sources
- Gambling crackdown on lotteries for Kampong Speu - Phnom Penh Post, phnompenhpost.com
