Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has called on the country’s provincial authorities to continue a crackdown against online fraud networks, in order to defend Cambodia’s “international standing” and foster a “safe” and “orderly” environment for investors and tourists. That is according to a Friday report in local Chinese-language news outlet Cambodia China Times.
On Friday, the same outlet cited Aun Pornmoniroth, deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance, asking relevant government departments to conduct “comprehensive” reviews of casinos across the country to assess their licensing status. He was speaking at a Thursday seminar on regulation of the gaming industry and on the combatting of online fraud.
Any casinos found to be involved in online fraud or other illegal activities could see their licences revoked, the official warned.
Aun Pornmoniroth is also the chairman of the country’s gaming regulator, the Commercial Gambling Management Commission.
In the Friday report on the Prime Minister’s remarks, he said the administration would be “resolute” in tackling online fraud, as such activities impact “investors’ confidence” in the country’s business environment.
His father Hun Sen, a former long-serving leader of Cambodia, has been in China from Thursday to Saturday, on what Xinhua, a Chinese news agency, described as an “official goodwill visit”. It included talks with China’s leader, President Xi Jinping, and other senior officials.
A Friday report from Cambodia’s state-run news outlet Agence Kampuchea Presse said the authorities there had targeted “over 500 scam locations” nationwide between early 2025 and June 22, this year. It cited data from the Commission for Combating Online Scams.
In connection with those actions, 25 casino licences had been “revoked or suspended”, the news agency reported.
