(AsiaGameHub) – Cambodian authorities have closed 91 casinos alleged to be facilitating online fraud networks, shortly after China called for stricter measures against cross-border gambling.
As reported by the Xinhua News Agency, Phnom Penh has additionally conducted raids on 250 online scam centers over the last nine months and expelled more than 13,000 foreigners connected to these operations.
During a visit to the Cambodian Prime Minister last Wednesday (22 April), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pressed the leader and his administration to enhance their crackdown on cross-border gambling and online fraud, framing them as public safety concerns.
The Cambodian government has consistently pledged to tackle scam compounds operating within its borders, a commitment strengthened by the enactment of its inaugural cybercrime law aimed at prosecuting online scam offenders.
The specific casinos affected by the closures are not yet public, but shutting down 91 venues is a component of a broader Cambodian government initiative to combat unlawful gambling. This effort has gained urgency after recent findings connected numerous nationwide casinos to serious abuses associated with scam compounds.
Nevertheless, ongoing allegations about scam centers in Cambodia indicate that Phnom Penh faces a protracted struggle as it devises new strategies to curb illegal gambling.
Measures by Cambodian authorities aim to alter the course and disrupt the growth of scam centers, which expanded rapidly after the ban on online gambling licenses in 2019.
The presence of many operators has persisted since then, and the spread of these scam centers has become a detrimental burden on the national economy.
Despite government initiatives, Cambodia continues to be an attractive location due to gaps in its regulatory system and its geographical closeness to Mainland China and Vietnam.
While government intervention is crucial, enforcement efforts are largely reactive, attempting to close a gap after allowing these centers a multi-year head start.
Yi’s trip is part of a larger Chinese campaign to rally Southeast Asian nations for regional collaboration against transnational cybercrime. His regional tour also included meetings with high-level officials from Myanmar and Thailand.
Per Xinhua, Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Tin Maung stressed his nation’s dedication to escalating its fight against online gambling and telecommunications fraud.
He added that Myanmar would “never allow any activities that harm China’s interests” on its soil.
A major driver behind China’s push to prevent Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations from becoming hubs for gambling and casino-related crime is the growing evidence that Chinese citizens are frequently leading these criminal ventures in the region.
The recent cooperation between China and Cambodia in apprehending and extraditing Chen Zhi underscores a distinct strategic partnership between the two countries.
Additionally, China’s drive to maintain certain standards in Southeast Asia’s gambling scene helps secure Macau’s continued prosperity as the region’s premier gambling destination.
Last year, President Xi notably intervened in the development of Thailand’s ultimately failed land-based casino bill, cautioning about the potential for regulated gambling to increase local crime—an action widely interpreted as safeguarding Macau’s status.
This article is provided by a third-party. AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) makes no warranties regarding its content.
AsiaGameHub delivers targeted distribution for iGaming, Casino, and eSports, connecting 3,000+ premium Asian media outlets and 80,000+ specialized influencers across ASEAN.
