Prime Minister Hun Manet ordered all capital and provincial governors to inspect gambling businesses and lotteries with expired licenses and ensure they were not still operating, according to a Phnom Penh Post report published on 10 March 2024. The order was issued in February 2024. Businesses found to be operating should be shuttered immediately and the case reported to the prime minister1.
The order came as the General Secretariat of the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC), which operates under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, ran a public awareness campaign on several social media platforms warning people about online advertising for illegal gambling and lotteries1. The secretariat said it had recently become aware of several online casino-style games advertised on Facebook, Telegram and YouTube. It said that under the Law on the Management of Commercial Gambling and the Law on the Suppression of Gambling, such games are illegal1.
The CGMC said specialized authorities were investigating several cases and that legal action was imminent1.
"Our authorities are conducting investigations and will pursue legal action against advertisers, operators and players, as well as anyone else involved in illegal gambling,"
The commission said online advertising for gambling has a negative impact on public order, social morals and the livelihoods of many people, and called on the public to avoid taking part in illegal gambling or attending venues that host it. It urged authorities at all levels to monitor gambling advertisers, operators and players and to act immediately against illegal gambling1.
Am Sam Ath, operations director at the rights group LICADHO, said the message would serve as an effective warning to the public and urged authorities to shut down online gambling sites as soon as possible. He said widespread gambling can lead to other serious social issues such as increases in violence and thefts. He noted the government had closed online gambling sites in the past but warned that enforcement would be ineffective unless operations are transparent and free from corruption1.
What it means for players
The CGMC's statement names players among those it says it will pursue, alongside advertisers and operators, for involvement in illegal gambling1. That applies to online casino-style games advertised on Facebook, Telegram and YouTube, which the commission says are illegal under Cambodian law1. The February order covers gambling businesses and lotteries whose licenses have expired, meaning a venue or lottery that appears to be trading may not hold a valid license. The CGMC has called on the public to avoid taking part in illegal gambling and to avoid attending venues that host it1. For anyone checking whether a Cambodian operator holds a current license, see How to Check if a Casino, Betting Site or Lottery Is Licensed and Gambling Regulators and Licenses in Asia: Who Licenses What and How to Check. The risks attached to unlicensed operators are set out in Risks of Playing on Unlicensed Gambling Sites, and the wider legal position is covered in Can I Gamble in Cambodia? and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions.
What happens next
The CGMC said investigations were under way and legal action was imminent, without naming targets or dates1. Governors were instructed to report any shuttered businesses to the prime minister1. No timeline for the inspections, and no results from them, have been reported.
Sources1 sources
- Gambling commission warns against online lotteries - Phnom Penh Post, phnompenhpost.com
