Amnesty Says Cambodia Approved Casinos Tied To Scam Compounds

Cambodia casino licensing is back in focus after Amnesty International said a dozen approved gaming sites were tied to scamming compounds linked to torture, trafficking, forced labour, and other abuses. Amnesty said the sites were in Sihanoukville, Poipet, Bavet, and Chrey Thum, and said the venues had licences from the Commercial Gambling Management Commission.

Good to Know

• Amnesty said the findings were based on casino licence documents, site visits, and testimony from compound survivors.
• The group named 12 casino locations and linked several to local companies already operating licensed venues.
• The report does not suggest links between those Cambodia properties and Crown in Australia or Venetian brands in Macau or the United States.

Licences First Questions After

The sharpest point in the Amnesty report is not the casino list alone. It is the timing. Cambodia has said it is dismantling scam compounds, yet Amnesty says casino approvals kept coming for sites allegedly tied to those same abusive operations.

Amnesty named Crown Bavet Casino, Crown Resorts in Poipet, and Crown Casino Chrey Thom under Anco Brothers Co Ltd. It also named New Venetian Casino in Bavet under New Venetian Resort Co Ltd. Other sites listed included Casino Kyom, Marinan International, Peak Casino, Majestic Hotel & Casino, Majestic Two, Long Feng Xuan Casino, Huang or Wang Chao International, and Golden Sea Casino.

Montse Ferrer said:

“This research establishes a clear link between Cambodia’s licensed casinos and its scamming compounds.

“At a time when the [Cambodian] government says it is dismantling the scamming industry, the evidence shows it is simultaneously recognising the plans for casino properties where abusive scamming compounds are run.”

For gaming, that is the real pressure point. Amnesty is not only accusing private operators. It is asking why official approval is still reaching sites the group says are connected to grave abuse. Ferrer said:

“This contradiction raises urgent questions about whether Cambodian regulators are legitimising companies linked to grave abuses. The authorities must explain why casinos with documented links to trafficking and torture continue to receive official approval.”

The wider backdrop has also hardened. Amnesty has been tracking scam compounds in Cambodia for months, and Cambodia parliament approved a cybercrime law on April 3 that officials said would support a national cleanup effort against scam rings.

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