In early March 2026, Prime Minister Hun Manet vowed to shut all scam centers in Cambodia by the end of April to restore tourist and investor confidence1. On April 24, Cambodia declared that the authorities had cracked down on more than 250 online scam locations and closed 91 casinos between July 2025 and mid-April 20261.
The same update said 241,888 individuals from countries such as China, Pakistan and Indonesia had left Cambodia voluntarily between mid-January and April 191. The government has filed 112 cases in court involving 1,089 individuals linked to scam operations1. It is difficult to estimate how many workers were involved in scam operations, because the centers operate like a revolving door, with workers recruited regularly and moved to different locations in the country1.
The closures have left thousands of foreigners without jobs or shelter, and unable to return home without a passport or money1. About 70 men were seen in April milling around a park opposite the Indonesian embassy in Phnom Penh, and at night many slept on straw mats on a nearby pavement1. Two Indonesian men told The Straits Times they had been sleeping on the street for two months; one said he was lured to work in a casino and then forced to scam people in Sihanoukville, and the other said he was tricked into working in a compound in Bavet, in Svay Rieng province on the border with Vietnam1. The newspaper said it could not independently verify both men's claims, and the Indonesian embassy had not replied to queries1.
Scam hot spots named include the following areas1.
- Sihanoukville, a coastal port city in south-western Cambodia known as a global hot spot for gambling, cybercrime and reported human trafficking tied to such activities
- Border areas with Thailand such as O'Smach town and Poipet city in the north-west
- Border cities with Vietnam including Bavet and Kampot in the south
"Raiding physical buildings is only half the battle."
The Global Anti-Scam Alliance estimates that US$442 billion was lost to scammers worldwide in 2025, and a 2026 UN report said the scam industry in the Mekong region alone is worth over US$43.8 billion a year1. Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry said scam centers may move to neighboring countries as Cambodia intensifies enforcement, and that Bangkok has strengthened border controls and surveillance, with security agencies on high alert1.
What it means for players
Cambodia's licensed casino sector has shrunk: 91 casinos closed between July 2025 and mid-April 20261. The crackdown targets online scam operations and the compounds that run them, not licensed gambling as such, but the two overlap in places such as Sihanoukville, which the report describes as a global hot spot for gambling and cybercrime1. For anyone in Cambodia, the practical effect is fewer casino venues and heavier police activity around border towns including Poipet, Bavet, O'Smach and Kampot1. The report also documents foreigners who entered on job offers and had their passports seized by operators, and who are now unable to leave1. Background on how such compounds work and how to report them is in Gambling Scams and Safety in Asia, and the current legal position for players is set out in Can I Gamble in Cambodia?.
What happens next
The April 24 declaration was the government's own accounting of the crackdown through mid-April 20261. Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry said it remains committed to working with Cambodia on online scams and looks forward to a "sincere and serious response" from Phnom Penh1. No further deadline or repatriation plan for the stranded workers has been reported1. Analysts quoted in the report said that without dismantling the financial pipelines and encrypted communication networks behind the operations, the problem is likely to be displaced rather than eradicated1. Regional context for travellers crossing that border is in Can I Gamble in Thailand?.
