Cambodia warns against online lotteries

Jenny Ortiz March 12, 2024

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Cambodia warns against online lotteries

The General Secretariat of the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) has initiated a public awareness campaign aimed at cautioning citizens about the dangers associated with online lotteries and illegal gambling activities.

The CGMC, an entity operating under the Cambodian Ministry of Economy and Finance, has raised concerns about the proliferation of online casino-style games being promoted through various social media platforms like Facebook, Telegram, and YouTube.

Probe ongoing vs. multiple platforms?

Reports from the Phnom Penh Post indicate that the CGMC is actively investigating multiple cases and is prepared to take legal action against those involved in such illicit activities.

The commission stresses that these online gambling operations violate both the Law on the Management of Commercial Gambling and the Law on the Suppression of Gambling, making them illegal.

The CGMC underscores the adverse effects of online gambling advertisements on public order, social morals, and individuals’ livelihoods.

It has pledged to conduct thorough investigations and pursue legal measures against advertisers, operators, players, and any other parties engaged in unlawful gambling activities.

Cambodian citizens have been urged to avoid participating in illegal gambling and to refrain from patronizing venues that facilitate such activities.

Monitoring ads on gambling?

The CGMC has also called upon authorities at all levels to closely monitor gambling advertisers, operators, and players, advocating for swift intervention against any instances of illegal gambling.

Sam Ath, the operations director at the rights group LICADHO, commends the CGMC’s efforts in issuing this warning and urges authorities to take decisive action in shutting down online gambling sites to prevent further proliferation of such issues.