Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Thursday, August 15, that the Royal Government will not issue new licenses for gambling operations, speaking at a meeting with Buddhist priests at the National Institute of Education in Phnom Penh1. He said the policy follows an earlier decision to stop granting licenses and to revoke existing ones1.
The prime minister said about a thousand licenses have already been revoked, and that no further licenses or permissions will be granted to open gambling venues elsewhere in Cambodia1. He tied the policy to the effect of gambling on ordinary people, saying the activities negatively impact the livelihoods of citizens1.
"I have issued a strict order. Previously, I stopped granting gambling licenses and revoked about a thousand existing licenses [...] Our policy is to cease issuing any new licenses,"
The announcement did not name which licenses were revoked, when the revocations took effect, or which venues were affected, and those details have not been reported1. It also did not set out how existing licensed operations will be treated, or whether any categories of gambling, such as online betting or casino floors open to foreigners, are handled differently from others1. The report gives no figure for how many gambling licenses remain in force in Cambodia1.
| What was announced | Figure given |
|---|---|
| Existing licenses revoked | About a thousand1 |
| New venues elsewhere in Cambodia | No licenses or permissions granted1 |
What it means for players
The practical effect for anyone gambling in Cambodia turns on licenses that already exist, not on the announcement itself. The prime minister said no new licenses will be issued and that about a thousand have been revoked, but the report does not identify which operators lost licenses or whether any venues still trading are affected1. Until that is reported, players have no published list showing which casinos or gambling venues in Cambodia currently hold a valid license, and the position of online operators licensed offshore is not addressed in the announcement1.
For locals, expats and visitors, the statement is a signal about the direction of policy rather than a change to the rules on who may enter a casino or what games may be played. Cambodia's rules on who can gamble, where, and under what license are set out in its gambling law, and the question of which properties hold a current license is covered in which casinos in Cambodia are licensed. Foreigners have separate rules from Cambodian nationals, covered in can foreigners gamble in Cambodia, and entry to venues is covered in casinos in Cambodia: who can go in.
Players who bet online should note that the announcement concerns licenses issued by the Royal Government and does not describe how offshore sites are treated; that is covered in can I play at online casinos in Cambodia. Sports betting and poker have their own licensing positions, covered in can I bet on sports in Cambodia and can I play poker in Cambodia. For how licensing works across the region and how to check a specific operator, see gambling regulators and licenses in Asia and types of gambling licenses explained.
What happens next
No date has been given for any further step, and no implementing measure, list of revoked licenses or transition period for existing operators has been reported1. The announcement as reported sets out policy only1.
Sources1 sources
- PM Hun Manet Announces Ban on New Gambling Licenses (Video inside), m.en.freshnewsasia.com
