Cambodia’s gambling regulator is drafting a new casino integrity and quality evaluation framework for licence renewals, a move designed to set minimum suitability conditions for casino operators and tighten oversight of the commercial gaming sector.
The General Secretariat of the Commercial Gambling Management Commission discussed the proposal at a meeting on 4 September, which was chaired by secretary-general Yeth Vinel and attended by senior officials, technical advisers and representatives of the regulator’s internal audit unit. The regulator said the framework would be based on applicable laws, regulatory instruments and the need to strengthen Cambodia’s commercial gambling sector.
The plan would put greater weight on integrity, compliance and operational standards for licence holders. Cambodia has not yet disclosed the specific assessment criteria or an implementation timetable, according to AGB.
The initiative comes as authorities continue a wider crackdown on casino-linked criminal activity. They reviewed all 195 licensed casinos in the country for possible links to scam centres, then revoked 20 licences and suspended 29 more. A further 23 casinos let their licences expire and ceased operations between July 2025 and 31 July 2026.
Authorities also investigated 751 locations suspected of involvement in online scam operations and shut 605 of them. The licensing review could be an important component of a broader effort to reinforce the legitimacy of the sector.
As covered in July, CGMC had already been studying Victoria’s casino regulator in Australia as it phased in new rules at home. Cambodia is also due for its next FATF evaluation in 2029. The country left the grey list in 2023 following a multi-year action plan on anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing deficiencies.
