Cambodia and China Strengthen Ties to Combat Illegal Online Gambling and Scams

China’s Premier Li Keqiang and Cambodia’s PM Hun Sen have given a green signal to strengthen their ties to crack down on illegal online gambling, telecommunications scam, and other fraudulent activities.

Additionally, Cambodia has agreed to support China in the context of cultural exchange. The country agreed to work with China to “maintain regular exchanges between youth organizations and institutions.”

Cambodia said that it would support the One-China policy and promised to oppose any actions that would compromise the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

New regulations for casinos and other gambling businesses were introduced in Cambodia last month. The country’s General Secretariat of the Commercial Gambling Management Commission (CGMC) issued new guidelines that make it easier for operators to compete and be taxed.

The recent laws ensure that all operators of gaming services are authorized. As a result, all gaming businesses will have to reapply for licenses by the end of the year. Cambodia will concentrate on the crackdown on unlicensed operators once that procedure is finished.

“The casino operators or owners have to display the original licenses or the certificate of legality in a visible place in their business locations,” explained the CGMC

As Cambodia works to exit the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) money-laundering gray list, minimizing gambling-related scams and unlicensed operators would also be beneficial. Cambodia also declared that it will work with other countries to further purify the market of illicit gambling operators.

Even though Cambodia is improving, more work needs to be done, such as conducting in-depth investigations and stepping up its anti-money laundering initiatives.

Authorities in Cambodia, who were entrusted with enforcing their laws and releasing hundreds of foreigners duped into working in illicit gambling operations there, said more needed to be done by nations whose citizens have been deceived about going to Cambodia.

According to the officials, “responsible companies in Cambodia, even foreign-owned MNCs are facing difficulties in genuine hiring because of the scam operations. As such, nab and throw the recruiters of these gullible people into jail to cut down the numbers as once they arrive in Cambodia, it would be almost impossible to track them unless there is solid evidence.”