Amnesty International says licensed Cambodian casinos remain tied to trafficking and torture
Summary
An Amnesty International report published in April 2026 finds that Cambodian authorities continued to approve casino sites in late 2025 and early 2026, even where those properties overlap with online scam compounds linked to torture, trafficking, forced labour and other abuses. Using official maps, satellite imagery and survivor testimony, Amnesty identified at least 11 instances where scam operations were located inside facilities officially recognised as casinos, restaurants, residences or offices.
Key Points
- Amnesty found a direct overlap between licensed casino sites and compounds where victims reported imprisonment and abuse.
- At least 11 cases were identified of scam operations located within officially recognised casino-related facilities.
- New licences were issued between December 2025 and January 2026 despite government pledges to crack down on scam centres.
- Survivors reported organised cross-border trafficking networks that lured victims with false job offers and confined them on casino-linked premises.
- Networks were frequently linked to Chinese nationals or dual nationals and alleged ties to Cambodia’s ruling elite.
- Several named properties include Crown casino chain sites owned by Anco Brothers, Majestic Hotel & Casino, Golden Sea Casino, Peak Casino and Marinan International.
- Amnesty describes the exploitation as having become “industrialised” and calls for full investigations and accountability across the economic chain.
- The organisation contacted Cambodian authorities and companies named in the report but had received no response by publication time.
Content Summary
The report combined Commercial Gambling Management Commission maps, satellite images and testimony gathered from survivors interviewed between 2024 and 2026. Witnesses said they were deceived with job offers, transported to Cambodia and then coerced into fraudulent online operations while being detained on-site. One survivor described being held in a Poipet casino-linked compound where guards used shock batons and children were present; victims were also forced to open bank accounts likely used for laundering.
Amnesty’s Co-Regional Director Montse Ferrer said the research “establishes a clear link between Cambodia’s licensed casinos and its scamming compounds” and warned that licences remaining in place leave people at risk of enslavement. The report builds on previous Amnesty findings that documented more than 50 scam centres in Cambodia and earlier accusations of government complicity with some criminal groups.
Context and Relevance
This matters to regulators, operators and compliance teams: the findings highlight severe reputational, legal and anti-money-laundering risks when licensed leisure and gambling sites overlap with organised crime. For the gambling industry it underlines the importance of robust due diligence, transparent licensing processes and cross-border cooperation to tackle trafficking and forced labour linked to online fraud operations. It also signals potential consequences for international partners and investors working in Cambodia.
Why should I read this
Because this isn’t just a compliance memo — it’s real people being trapped where licences were meant to mean oversight. If you work in gaming, regulation, compliance or invest in the region, skim this now: it saves you the time of digging through the original report and flags the parts that could bite your business or policy work.