Cambodia Online Gambling Suspension Starts in October

The Cambodia online gambling suspension is set to begin in early October 2026, halting online operations at casinos nationwide. Prime Minister Hun Manet reiterated the plan on September 16, while the government has warned that casinos violating the measure could lose their licenses.

Editorial illustration of Hun Manet beside Cambodia's flag and a paused casino broadcast. — AI-generated editorial illustration of Hun Manet and Cambodia’s planned online gambling suspension.

KEY FACTS AT A GLANCE

Timing and scope: Early October 2026; online gambling operated or livestreamed from casinos nationwide. An exact national start day has not been verified.
Penalties and reopening: Possible license revocation and further legal action. No confirmed end date or detailed reopening criteria have been identified.

What stops under Cambodia’s October gambling suspension?

The Interior Ministry’s September 6 account of a speech by Interior Minister Sar Sokha describes a suspension of online gambling at all casinos. Sokha delivered the remarks in Takeo province on September 5 and specifically discussed gambling livestreamed from casino premises.

The distinction matters. A casino floor can supply a video feed to people placing bets remotely, as explained in our guide to how live dealer casino games work. Suspending that online activity does not, by itself, establish a requirement to close every physical casino. Individual properties may nevertheless face separate enforcement action.

Speaking at a hospital inauguration in Phnom Penh on September 16, Hun Manet reaffirmed the timing. Bernama, carrying Xinhua’s reporting, quoted the prime minister as saying:

“All online gambling operations will be suspended starting early October”
— Hun Manet, reported by Bernama/Xinhua, September 16, 2026; excerpt

The national announcements describe an early-October start. An exact nationwide deadline remains unconfirmed in the records reviewed.

License penalties and possible reopening

Sokha said casinos that breach the suspension could face license revocation and other legal action, according to the ministry. The reviewed announcement does not provide a fixed fine or an automatic penalty schedule for a specific violation.

The government’s stated concern is its ability to monitor money moving through online gambling operations. The ministry linked the decision to technology-enabled fraud and funds whose origins are unclear. Tracking those flows is also a broader regulatory concern discussed in our coverage of FATF’s gambling risk indicators.

During the suspension, relevant ministries are expected to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework, digital infrastructure and specialist staffing. The ministry says officials will consider allowing operations to resume after stronger controls are in place. That describes a conditional decision, with no confirmed reopening date.

For operators, the immediate exposure is their casino license. How compliance will be assessed and what evidence would satisfy future restart requirements remain unresolved.

How the 2019 online gambling ban fits

Cambodia has restricted online gambling before. On August 18, 2019, then-Prime Minister Hun Sen directed the government to stop granting new online gambling permissions and licenses. Existing license holders could continue until their licenses expired, but the Ministry of Economy and Finance would not renew them, Xinhua reported at the time.

Kyodo subsequently reported that inspections of licensed casinos would begin on January 1, 2020, to enforce the shutdown of online operations. Cambodia also promulgated its Law on the Management of Commercial Gambling in November 2020, establishing a broader casino regulatory framework, according to contemporary analysis by law firm DFDL.

Cambodia’s online gambling restrictions, 2019–2026

Five milestones from the licensing restriction to the announced October suspension. Intervals are not to scale.

August 18, 2019

New online gambling licenses haltedExisting licenses would not be renewed.
January 1, 2020

Enforcement inspections scheduledInspections were scheduled to enforce the earlier online shutdown.
Timeline break: 2020–2026
September 5, 2026

October suspension announcedSar Sokha announces the planned suspension; the Interior Ministry publishes its account on September 6.
September 16, 2026

Early-October halt reiteratedPrime Minister Hun Manet reiterates the planned halt.
Early October 2026
Planned

Casino-based online suspension due to beginNo exact national start day has been verified.

dyutam.com

The legal connection between that earlier restriction and casino-hosted online activity in 2026 remains unclear. The sources reviewed do not establish an exception or subsequent permission, and the 2020 gambling law alone does not demonstrate that the online restriction was lifted.

Earlier casino license actions are a separate measure

In a September 8 update, state news agency Agence Kampuchea Presse reported that authorities had revoked 18 casino licenses and suspended nine pending further investigation over alleged online-scam involvement. AKP attributed the figures to the Commission for Combating Online Scams. These actions preceded the suspension scheduled for October.

Casino licence actions reported in September 2026

Government figures reported by AKP, September 8, 2026. Earlier enforcement actions.

Licenses revoked

Licenses suspended pending investigation

Casino licenses

View chart data

Earlier license actions reported in September 2026
Action	Casino licenses
Revoked	18
Suspended pending investigation	9

dyutam.com

Hun Manet has also called for a review of licensing requirements to reduce the number of casinos, according to Bernama/Xinhua’s September 16 report. That broader review concerns the casino sector’s size and licensing standards. It is separate from the October suspension of online activity.

Analyst calls for consistent enforcement

Gambling and online fraud are different activities, even when criminal networks use the same premises or financial channels. Analyst Seng Vanly made that distinction in Cambodianess’s reporting, arguing that the suspension’s credibility would depend on consistent enforcement, clear conditions and action against organizers and financiers.

Independent investigations provide a reason to examine implementation closely. Amnesty International’s April investigation linked identified casino complexes with documented scam-compound abuses. Its June follow-up raised concerns about enforcement and the treatment of trafficking victims. Those findings predate the latest announcement and concern the sites Amnesty investigated.

The financial networks also extend beyond the premises where gambling occurs, an issue illustrated by Dyutam’s reporting on offshore gambling payment networks linked to an Indonesian case. Closing an online operation is one enforcement step; tracing its funds and identifying the people controlling them are separate tasks.

FAQs

When does Cambodia’s online gambling suspension begin?

Officials have announced an early-October 2026 start for online operations at casinos nationwide. The national announcements reviewed do not establish an exact calendar day.

Which gambling activities are covered?

The announcement concerns online gambling operated from casinos, including livestreamed gambling discussed by Interior Minister Sar Sokha. Detailed operational definitions have not been verified.

Will every physical casino have to close?

The announced suspension targets online operations. It does not establish a blanket closure order for physical casino floors, although individual properties can face separate enforcement action.

What penalties could casinos face?

The Interior Ministry says casinos that breach the suspension could face license revocation and other legal action. The reviewed announcement does not specify a fixed fine.

Did Cambodia already ban online gambling in 2019?

The government stopped issuing new online gambling licenses in August 2019 and said existing licenses would not be renewed. Casino inspections to enforce the shutdown were scheduled to begin on January 1, 2020.

When could online operations resume?

No reopening date has been confirmed. The Interior Ministry says authorities will consider allowing operations to resume after stronger controls are in place; detailed restart criteria remain unverified.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Casino-based online gambling is the announced target — officials describe an early-October 2026 suspension, with possible license revocation for noncompliance.
Implementation details remain unresolved — the reviewed sources do not establish an exact national start day, a confirmed reopening date or the legal connection to the earlier online gambling restriction.