Cambodia: 1,241 arrested for illegal gambling in H1

Police reported that arrests related to illegal gambling decreased by 9 per cent compared to the first half of 2022.

Cambodia.- Police conducted 484 operations against illegal gambling during the first half of the year, leading to the arrest of 1,241 people. That’s according to National Police spokesman lieutenant general Chhay Kim Khoeun, who highlighted a decline in cases of 10 per cent and a 9 per cent decrease in the number of arrests compared to the same period last year.

He urged the public and media to enhance awareness of the consequences of engaging in any form of unlawful gambling and encouraged cooperation with law enforcement to combat illegal gambling effectively.

According to Khmer Times, of those arrested, 782 were subsequently released while 459 were forwarded to court for legal proceedings. 

Heng Kimhong, head of the Research and Advocacy Programme of the Cambodian Youth Network Association, praised the National Police for their efforts in tackling illegal gambling, noting a reduction in incidents.

Last year, prime minister Hun Sen issued an order commanding action against all types of crimes, with a particular concern about the rise in transnational crimes, including drug trafficking and online gambling. 

The country renewed its cooperation agreement on cross-border gambling with China. Cambodia banned online gambling when the first agreement was signed in March 2019. Authorities have also signed a memorandum of understanding with Thailand to tackle online gambling operators and call-centre scammers.