Cambodia declared on April 24 that authorities had cracked down on more than 250 online scam locations and closed 91 casinos between July 2025 and mid-April 20261. The figure covers a period that began in July 2025 and ran to mid-April 20261.
The declaration followed a pledge by Prime Minister Hun Manet in early March to shut all scam centers in the country by the end of April to restore tourist and investor confidence1. In the same April 24 update, the government said 241,888 individuals from countries including China, Pakistan and Indonesia had left Cambodia voluntarily between mid-January and April 191. It also said it had filed 112 cases in court involving 1,089 individuals linked to scam operations1.
The crackdown has left thousands of foreigners without jobs or shelter, and unable to return home without passports or money1. Some former workers have been housed by non-governmental organizations or in temporary holding facilities, including one near the old Phnom Penh airport1. The Straits Times reported that about 70 men were seen around a park opposite the Indonesian embassy in Phnom Penh on a weekday in April, with many sleeping on straw mats on a nearby pavement at night1. Two Indonesian men told the newspaper they had been lured to Cambodia and forced to work in scam operations, in Sihanoukville and in Bavet in Svay Rieng province; the newspaper said it could not independently verify their accounts and that the Indonesian embassy had not replied to queries1.
Sihanoukville, a coastal port city in south-western Cambodia, is described as a global hot spot for gambling, cybercrime and reported cases of human trafficking tied to such activities1. Other scam hot spots cited include border areas with Thailand such as O'Smach town and Poipet city in the north-west, and border cities with Vietnam including Bavet and Kampot in the south1.
"Raiding physical buildings is only half the battle."
Seng also said that without sustained effort to dismantle financial pipelines and encrypted communication networks, "we are seeing a displacement of the problem rather than its total eradication"1. John Wojcik, a senior threat researcher at US cybersecurity firm Infoblox, said the situation had "quickly turned into a humanitarian disaster, with both the local authorities and international organizations struggling to keep up"1. Bunna Vann, head of research and advocacy at the Cambodian Youth Network Association, said the government had largely acted against low-level perpetrators while many influential figures and those with political backing remain at large1.
Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry said there may be a risk of scam centers moving to neighboring countries as Cambodia intensifies enforcement, and that Bangkok has strengthened border controls and surveillance with security agencies on high alert1. It said Thailand remains committed to working with Cambodia on online scams1.
The Global Anti-Scam Alliance estimates that US$442 billion was lost to scammers worldwide in 2025, and a 2026 UN report put the scam industry in the Mekong region alone at over US$43.8 billion a year1.
What it means for players
The 91 casino closures sit inside a wider enforcement campaign that also targets online scam operations, and the two are often discussed together in Cambodia1. For anyone in Cambodia, the practical effect is a smaller and less predictable casino and online gambling landscape than the one described in guides to casinos in Cambodia and which casinos are licensed. The border areas named in the crackdown, including Poipet on the Thai side and Bavet on the Vietnam side, are the same places where scam compounds and gambling operations have overlapped1.
The reports of workers lured by job offers and then trapped after their passports were seized are relevant to anyone considering casino and online gambling job offers in Cambodia1. The same pattern appears in warnings about fake casino sites and gambling scams in Cambodia and in the wider guide to gambling scams and safety in Asia.
Thailand's stated concern about displacement means players on the Thai side of the border may see enforcement attention shift toward crossings and border towns; the country's rules are set out in Can I gamble in Thailand? and Can I play at online casinos in Thailand?.
What happens next
Hun Manet's stated deadline to shut all scam centers was the end of April 20261. The Straits Times reported that many former scam center workers remain in Cambodia, and that no clear repatriation or protection plan for them has been reported1. Thailand said it looks forward to a "sincere and serious response" from Phnom Penh on the issue1.
