Cambodia

The Law on the Management of Commercial Gambling (LMCG) was promulgated on 14 November 2020, providing Cambodia’s first comprehensive gaming framework covering casinos, integrated resorts and gaming centres, and established the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) via sub-decrees in August 2021. Online gambling was banned by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s directive of 18 August 2019 (full effect by August 2020), citing fraud and scam operations; that ban has not been lifted, making online sports betting prohibited.

Cambodian citizens are largely barred from gambling entirely — casinos admit only foreigners presenting a foreign passport (the main exception being a few government-sponsored national lotteries). Horse-race betting has no legal operating venue, and prediction markets have no legal basis. As of 2025-2026 the CGMC continues tightening compliance (e.g.

Instruction No. 003/26 of February 2026), while enforcement against individual online players remains comparatively loose. The minimum gambling age (effectively for foreigners) is 18.

Cambodia has a unique relationship with gambling. The official laws of the land make it illegal for citizens to participate in any form of gambling. These laws are loosely enforced against individuals, but they are still the law: the government instructed authorities to eliminate all online and arcade gambling, and that ban has not been lifted, so visiting betting sites from Cambodia is unlawful even where enforcement is rare.

It should be worth noting, however, that the risk is not zero. Even though people place wagers in person and at Cambodian betting sites every day, the laws of the nation clearly prohibit all forms of gambling. The good news is that these laws are rarely enforced and Cambodian authorities are ill-equipped to investigate individual citizens’ online gaming activities.

Some foreign-licensed sites still accept customers from Cambodia, but online gambling is prohibited there: the government instructed authorities to eliminate all online gambling and the ban remains in force, so opening an account and betting real money means breaking Cambodian law. A working knowledge of English will give you access to all the biggest brands in the world, including those based out of gambling-friendly European nations.

Cambodia Betting Sites

It is rare to find Khmer language betting sites based out of other nations. They do exist but they are far and few between. You may also occasionally encounter online gambling sites based out of Cambodia. I would not recommend playing at local sites: online gambling is banned outright in Cambodia, so they are illegal rather than merely unregulated. Some local Cambodian betting sites have been raided by the police in the past.

An operator licensed in another jurisdiction answers to that regulator, and it faces no risk of being raided and shut down by Cambodian police because it has no physical presence in the country.

Riel Deposits and Khmer Language

Deposits could present a challenge for some customers. The Cambodian Riel (KHR) is not widely accepted. Even the major brands based out of other Asian countries seem to forgo the riel as an accepted currency. The good news is there are other options.

You can always deposit with an e-wallet such as Skrill or Neteller. An account there will give you the ability to deposit and withdraw from all the major online gambling sites of the world. However, neither of these services accept KHR transactions. Therefore, you’ll have to convert your currency to USD, EUR, GBP or some other currency before completing your deposit.

Cambodia Gambling Laws

Gambling was outlawed in Cambodia during the dark Khmer Rouge days, but those times are thankfully gone. The industry made a comeback in the early 90s. In 1996, the Law on the Suppression of Gambling was passed. This piece of legislation made it illegal for all Cambodian citizens to participate in gambling.

Anyone caught gambling in Cambodia is punishable under the law with a fine ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 riels and up to a month of imprisonment. Repeat offenders are subject to a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 riels and up to a year of imprisonment.

Anyone caught operating a gambling den in Cambodia is subject to a fine of 5 million to 20 million riels and one to five years of imprisonment. The law also provides punishments for the production or importation of gambling devices and punishments for government officials who license gambling dens without the express permission of the Royal Government.

This law, like many other in the country, is loosely enforced.

Many of Cambodia’s casinos operate near border areas and cater to people crossing over from Thailand and Vietnam. Regulations and oversight over these casinos are minimal, so play at your own risk.

NagaWorld in Phnom Penh is the largest casino in all of Cambodia. It has an operating license until 2065 and has been granted a government monopoly over casinos within 200km of Phnom Penh until 2045. NagaWorld consists of a massive hotel complex with approximately 500 gaming tables and 2,000 electronic gaming machines.

NagaCorp has purchased Airbus A320 airliners to fly VIP junkets between Phnom Penh and China. The casino also has a small fleet of private jets reserved for high rollers. This is by far the largest and most legitimate gambling operation inside Cambodia.