Cambodia Prepares Nationwide Casino Inspections After Online Gambling Deadline

A September shutdown deadline now leads to broader checks

The immediate background is the September 30 deadline for casinos to end online gambling and betting operations. On October 1, authorities reported that 24 establishments had stopped those activities and removed related equipment. Twelve were in Preah Sihanouk province, seven in Banteay Meanchey and five in Svay Rieng.

Those closures concerned online gambling operations, including livestreamed betting and online lotteries, not necessarily the entire land-based casino businesses. The newly coordinated inspections are intended to look beyond those initial locations for unauthorized gambling that may still be taking place on licensed premises.

For practical context, see Cambodia market and country comparisons. This development also connects with Cambodia to Suspend Casino Online Gambling in October.

Sixteen casino-hosting jurisdictions are involved

At the October 5 meeting, the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) worked with the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams (CCOS) on a nationwide inspection programme. Representatives of police, immigration, labour authorities, provincial administrations and prosecutors took part, covering 16 jurisdictions where casinos operate.

The teams are due to visit casino sites from October 2026 and examine compliance with licence conditions, particularly any online betting conducted inside or around the premises. CGMC Secretary-General Yeth Vinel said the commission would use administrative sanctions when it found unauthorized activity and cooperate with law enforcement on possible criminal proceedings. The public announcement did not set out an inspection timetable for individual properties or report final findings from this new round.

Workers and local businesses need property-specific information

A licensed gaming floor and an illegal online operation are different regulatory issues, even if both are housed within the same complex. That distinction is particularly relevant to casino employees, hotel operators and commercial tenants who need to understand which business is affected by any future enforcement decision.

The involvement of immigration and labour agencies does not, by itself, create a new visa requirement for foreign residents across Cambodia. Nor does an announced inspection establish that every casino under scrutiny has broken the law. Any claim that a particular venue will close, or that jobs there will be affected, needs evidence from a decision concerning that venue.