Cambodia Casinos get state approval despite links to human rights abuse at scamming compounds
Summary
An Amnesty International investigation has found that at least a dozen licensed casinos in Cambodia are directly linked to scamming compounds where survivors report torture, forced labour, child labour and human trafficking. By analysing official plans published by Cambodia’s Commercial Gambling Management Commission (CGMC), satellite imagery and survivor testimony, Amnesty matched casino complexes to sites of abuse documented in its June 2025 report and in subsequent interviews through to January 2026.
The CGMC recognised casino plans in December 2025 and January 2026 — months after the government announced a nationwide crackdown on scamming compounds. The recognised sites include Crown casinos (Poipet, Bavet, Chrey Thum), Majestic Hotel & Casino and Majestic Two in Sihanoukville, and the New Venetian in Bavet. In multiple cases survivors identified exact buildings within casino complexes where they were confined, tortured and forced to work.
Amnesty has called for the immediate suspension of gambling licences, independent investigations, and accountability for owners, financiers and operators. The implicated companies had not responded to Amnesty at time of publication.
Key Points
- Amnesty International links at least 12 licensed casinos to scamming compounds with documented torture, forced labour, child labour and trafficking.
- CGMC officially recognised casino plans in Dec 2025–Jan 2026, even during a government crackdown on scamming compounds.
- Researchers matched CGMC maps with satellite imagery and survivor testimony to identify exact buildings used for detention and abuse.
- Notable implicated sites include Crown casinos (Poipet, Bavet, Chrey Thum), Majestic Hotel & Casino (Sihanoukville), Majestic Two, The New Venetian and several others.
- Survivors described electric-shock batons, confinement in marked casino buildings, forced creation of bank accounts and other exploitation used to run scams.
- Evidence spans 2022–2026; many of the same companies have operated the casinos since at least 2022.
- Amnesty urges suspension of licences, full independent and transparent investigations, and accountability under domestic and international law.
- The CGMC and named companies were contacted by Amnesty but had not responded by publication.
Context and relevance
This investigation matters because it shows official paperwork and mapped casino plans can effectively legitimise sites where grave abuses occur. Cambodia’s simultaneous public crackdown and recognition of casino complexes raises serious questions about regulatory oversight, potential state complicity, and corporate responsibility under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
For human-rights monitors, investors, regulators and companies operating in Cambodia, the report signals a high-risk sector that demands scrutiny. The findings have implications for due diligence, supply-chain risk, reputational exposure and potential criminal liability where businesses knowingly facilitate trafficking, enslavement or torture. The story also affects tourism and cross-border financial flows tied to these complexes.
Why should I read this?
Because this isn’t just hearsay — it’s official maps, satellite images and survivor testimony all lining up. If you care about human rights, doing business responsibly, or spotting where governance is failing, this saves you time: the hard evidence is pulled together in one place and points straight at which casinos and companies are implicated. Read it to know who, where and why immediate action is being demanded.
Author style
Punchy: this is urgent, documentary-level reporting with named casinos and verifiable mapping. If you work in compliance, investment or human-rights advocacy, the detail here is significant and worth digging into.
Source
Source: https://g3newswire.com/cambodia-casinos-state-approval-human-rights-abuse/