On April 5th, Cambodian police conducted a raid on Gang Dao Casino in Sihanouk Province, uncovering an online scam hub within the casino. Law enforcement seized nearly 500 computers and over 1000 mobile phones, which were allegedly used for illegal operations. A total of 108 suspects were detained, and the casino was subsequently shut down and sealed. The Cambodian Commercial Gambling Management Commission announced the revocation of the casino's license—which had just been issued in November 2025. The operator, Gang Dao International Entertainment, was accused of violating the Commercial Gambling Management Law. Frankly speaking, being busted less than half a year after obtaining the license, the enforcement was indeed extraordinary.
"Scamming Cambodia" remains notorious, new law increases penalties
Cambodia is known as the scam capital of Southeast Asia, competing with Myanmar and Laos for this infamous title. In 2024, the country's criminal industry is estimated to generate $12.5 billion in revenue. This raid comes as the government pledges to eradicate online fraud. Local casinos first emerged in border towns like Sihanouk, Poipet, and Bavet, attracting players from countries where gambling is banned, such as Thailand and China. Under the control of Chinese criminal groups, they first expanded into online gambling and then shifted to internet scams. Victims are usually lured with clerical or computer-related jobs, and upon arrival, they are forced under threats of violence to engage in romance and cryptocurrency scams. According to a BBC report on April 6th, in a now-closed casino, workers who failed to meet financial targets were "whipped with rattan at least 10 times." On April 3rd, the Cambodian government approved severe new penalties for operators of scam hubs: operators face 5 to 10 years of imprisonment and fines up to $250,000; those involved in kidnapping, illegal detention, forced labor, and abuse could face up to 20 years in prison and $500,000 in fines; if it results in one or more deaths, life imprisonment can be imposed.
International skepticism: PR campaign or real action?
Despite the Cambodian government's high-profile actions, Montse Ferrer, the regional director for Amnesty International, expressed skepticism: "While the government claims to be dismantling the scam industry, evidence suggests it is still approving casino projects that involve abusive scam hubs." Jacob Sims, a visiting scholar at Harvard University's Asia Center, also told Time magazine: "The Cambodian government's PR campaign has indeed stepped up a notch, sounding like a sanitized international organization, but their actual actions do not resemble those of a country genuinely striving to eliminate the problem." For more updates on security and compliance in Southeast Asia, continue to follow PASA official website.
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