Amnesty International Report Alleges Cambodian Casinos Linked to Online Scam Compounds

A new report from Amnesty International claims that the Cambodian government recently licensed “a dozen casinos” allegedly tied to online scam operations, raising serious questions about Phnom Penh’s commitment to combating cybercrime. Despite recent, highly publicized statements by Cambodian authorities asserting that they are cracking down on criminal online scam compounds, the human rights organization contends otherwise.

Amnesty International asserts that “a dozen casinos” in Cambodia are “directly linked to scamming compounds,” where investigators have documented human rights abuses including “torture, forced labour, child labour and human trafficking.” Among the implicated establishments are three casinos reportedly owned by alleged cybercrime kingpin Kok An. The Thai Examiner described Kok An as the “gangster sidekick” of former prime minister and current Senate President Hun Sen. Kok An owns the Phnom Penh-based conglomerate Anco Brothers Co Ltd.

The Amnesty report, published Thursday, cites official licensing documents from Cambodia’s Commercial Gambling Management Commission (CGMC), which show that casino owners directly control “at least 12 separate locations” where investigators have documented abuses. “The findings corroborate testimony from compound survivors who described being on casino property while they were confined and abused,” the report stated. The casinos are reportedly located in Sihanoukville and border towns such as Poipet, primarily catering to Thai patrons.

The revelations cast doubt on recent claims that Cambodia has made progress in its cybercrime crackdown. Since 2025, the government has announced thousands of arrests targeting so-called “pig butchering scams,” online romance and crypto schemes that exploit victims’ trust to extract money through fraudulent investment schemes. In January and February alone, Cambodia reportedly shut down 190 scam centers across the country, including 44 casinos allegedly involved in “fraudulent activities carried out through technological systems.” The government also revoked licenses of four casinos linked to Prince Group Holdings, which runs one of the world’s largest online fraud operations, previously generating an estimated US$30 million per day. In January, Cambodian authorities arrested the company’s head, Chen Zhi, and deported him to China, where he faces charges of fraud, money laundering, human trafficking, and torture.

The CGMC maintained that such enforcement demonstrates its intent to “strengthen regulation of the commercial gaming sector … and ensure operations are conducted lawfully.”

However, Amnesty International challenges that assertion. Montse Ferrer, Co-Regional Director for the watchdog, said the research “establishes a clear link between Cambodia’s licensed casinos and its scamming compounds. At a time when the 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.”

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has recently commended Cambodia for ramping up its fight against cyberfraud, a global problem worth an estimated US$40 billion annually. Yet Ferrer insists that more must be done. “If the government is serious about ending this slave-driven industry, it must investigate all scamming compounds in the country,” he said.

By fLEXI tEAM