Cambodia's One-Year Report Details Nationwide Actions Against Online Scam Operations

Cambodian authorities presented a detailed one-year report on their crackdown against online scam operations to a Cabinet meeting held on July 24, 2026, and the document outlined specific enforcement steps taken across the country from June 2025 through June 2026. The report examined all 195 licensed casinos operating within Cambodia and identified 72 of those facilities as participants in online fraud activities that used casino infrastructure as cover for criminal networks.

Inspectors carried out raids on 737 dedicated online scam centers during the reporting period, while teams visited a total of 28,500 locations to check for illegal operations and uncovered evidence of wrongdoing at 665 of those sites. Government teams then moved to revoke operating licenses for 19 casinos, placed suspensions on 30 additional properties, and recorded that 23 other venues had already ceased operations before formal action could be completed.

Enforcement Measures and Foreign National Removals

Authorities deported more than 21,100 foreign nationals who were found working or residing at scam-related sites, and officials initiated prosecution proceedings against thousands of additional suspects tied to the same networks. These steps formed part of a coordinated effort that Prime Minister Hun Manet presented to Cabinet members as evidence of progress in disrupting organized fraud rings that had previously used Cambodian territory as a base.

The report noted that international cooperation played a central role in several of the larger operations, allowing Cambodian law enforcement to coordinate with agencies from neighboring countries on information sharing and cross-border arrests. Observers familiar with the region's casino sector pointed out that the inspections covered every licensed property without exception, which provided a complete picture of how certain operators had shifted from traditional gaming to facilitating online schemes.

Scope of Inspections Across Licensed Properties

Data compiled in the report showed that the 72 casinos flagged for involvement represented a significant portion of the total licensed market, yet the remaining properties continued to operate under heightened monitoring. Teams conducting the inspections examined both physical premises and digital infrastructure, searching for evidence of servers, call centers, and financial transaction points used in fraud schemes targeting victims abroad. Those findings led directly to the license revocations and suspensions that followed the review process.

Officials documented that many of the 737 raided centers operated in industrial zones or repurposed commercial buildings rather than inside established casino resorts, which required separate enforcement actions beyond the casino-specific inspections. The 28,500 total site visits included both announced and unannounced checks, allowing authorities to verify compliance across urban centers and more remote provinces where scam operations had expanded in recent years.

Outcomes Presented to Cabinet

Prime Minister Hun Manet described the collected results as a major step forward during the July 24, 2026 presentation, noting that strengthened international cooperation had contributed to the scale of arrests and deportations achieved. The report itself remained an internal government document, though its key statistics were summarized for Cabinet review and later referenced in public statements. Prosecutors continue to handle the thousands of individual cases stemming from the raids, while regulators maintain ongoing oversight of the 30 suspended casinos to determine whether any can resume operations under new conditions.

Further analysis within the document broke down the types of fraud uncovered, including investment scams, romance schemes, and fake online gambling platforms that directed victims to Cambodian-based servers. The inspections revealed patterns of shared infrastructure between some licensed casinos and separate scam centers located nearby, prompting the government to tighten rules around licensing and foreign worker permits in the sector.

Conclusion

The one-year report delivered on July 24, 2026, therefore provided Cabinet members with a comprehensive account of enforcement actions that included the inspection of all 195 casinos, the identification of 72 properties tied to fraud, and the subsequent removal of licenses or suspension of operations at dozens of venues. With over 21,100 foreign nationals deported and thousands more facing prosecution, the figures reflect teh scope of operations conducted between June 2025 and June 2026. The document also highlighted the role of international partnerships in supporting these efforts, and regulators have indicated that monitoring of remaining licensed properties will continue under the same framework.