To rectify the disorder in the gambling industry, enhance regulatory effectiveness, and maintain public safety, the Cambodian Commercial Gambling Management Committee has recently officially issued new regulations, imposing seven mandatory management requirements on casinos and commercial gambling venues nationwide. This reform aims to strengthen law enforcement at the institutional level, enhance risk control, and promote the lawful and compliant operation of the gambling industry.
According to reports by Cambodian media in early June, this policy guidance has been distributed to casinos across the country, covering aspects such as entrance and exit security, personnel admission, technical systems, surveillance coverage, security arrangements, and mechanisms for handling illegal activities, requiring casino operators to fully comply.
The new regulations first emphasize that all gambling venues must be equipped with professional security teams and install metal detectors and scanning devices at entrances and exits, operating around the clock to strictly prevent the inflow of explosives, firearms, knives, and other dangerous items into the casinos. Security personnel must patrol the premises in shifts to ensure order and operational safety.
In terms of personnel management, the committee has reiterated: Cambodian citizens are strictly prohibited from entering casinos to gamble, and the same applies to minors, individuals with criminal records, and those on government blacklists. This ban aims to reduce debts, family conflicts, and social issues among the local population caused by gambling, and to curb the domestic addiction to gambling.
The technical aspect of safety supervision has also been strengthened. All casinos must establish a CCTV system covering all areas, conducting 24-hour electronic monitoring. Operators must also cooperate with the government in investigating and blocking crimes such as online gambling, money laundering, fraud, drug trafficking, illegal human transportation, and terrorist financing.
If illegal or suspicious activities are detected, they must be immediately reported to the Commercial Gambling Management Committee. If a casino violates or ignores the new regulations, it will be dealt with according to the Commercial Gambling Management Law, with penalties ranging from fines to license revocation, and in severe cases, criminal liability may be pursued.
By the end of 2024, Cambodia had issued 195 legal casino licenses. According to official reports, one license has been revoked, three casinos have suspended operations, and 15 licenses have expired naturally. Legal casinos are mostly concentrated in the Cambodian-Thai and Cambodian-Vietnamese border areas and the coastal region of Sihanouk Province, with Sihanoukville remaining the core area of gambling, hosting up to 83 licensed casinos.
The regulatory body calls for legal operations and the joint construction of a transparent gambling environment
The Cambodian Commercial Gambling Management Committee states that it hopes gambling operators will strictly adhere to national laws and industry standards, uphold a sense of social responsibility, and actively implement various safety systems and technical standards. "We are building a regulated, orderly, and transparent gambling environment, eliminating illegal activities that erode national security and social order," the official statement said.
This set of new regulations is seen as an important measure for Cambodia to curb the chaos in gambling, prevent the spread of transnational crimes, and is also a key link in strengthening cooperation mechanisms with neighboring countries in combating cross-border crime.
