PHNOM PENH — In a week, all illegal gambling promotion activities must stop otherwise legal action will be taken, the Interior Ministry has warned following the recent emergence of gambling promotion on social media.

A social observer and youths are calling for an anti-gambling campaign as they believe the issue could be wiped out if the authorities truly take action.

Following the signing of a circular by Interior Minister Sar Sokha on Dec. 4, all individuals involved in illegal gambling are ordered to cease their promotion activities by Dec. 10. Starting Dec. 11, officials at all levels will take legal action, the Interior Minister has warned.

All gambling banners must be removed from public spaces, except at licensed casinos, the ministry said, adding that an investigation into online gambling locations will be launched, requesting all relevant parties to report cases to the national police and the ministry.

“We urged the police and its subordinate units to monitor and find the sources to firmly crack down on cases where abusive media [promotion] continues to circulate after the ultimatum has passed,” the circular states.

Cambodia banned online gambling in 2019 while a 1996 law forbids Cambodians to gamble—even though these two measures have not always been enforced.

In February 2024, the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) issued a ban on any gambling advertisement following Prime Minister Hun Manet’s call.

However, according to the Interior Ministry, illegal gambling content is being spread on social media to lure people into joining directly or online.

Some public figures and content creators participated in the promotion, attracting their supporters to share their content, which affects the public and social orders, the ministry noted.  

Pa Chanroeun, president of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy, said that the authorities must act quickly to prevent gambling, as gambling worsens economic conditions and affects livelihoods.

“If they take action, in only 24 hours, they can do it,” he said. “But what’s important is their will and their transparency in cracking down on gambling. The economic situation is dire, and gambling is a significant contributor to the worsening of the situation and the livelihoods of the individuals involved.”

Sean Sear, a young freelance writer based in Phnom Penh, said that a campaign combating gambling should be in place since it aims to restrict gambling promotion and crackdown, but the authorities must also ensure transparency and avoid profiting from gambling.

According to Au Sa, a young woman also from Phnom Penh, the problem of illegal gambling has become more widespread, and crackdowns have also intensified. However, she said, the government should implement training courses or have a no-gambling campaign to combat the growing issue of illegal gambling.

“In addition to advising against gambling and stopping advertising, the government should consider creating model areas [that are gambling-free] or gambling-free campaigns so that other areas can follow,” she said. “It can also be an opportunity for the authorities to showcase their work.”

Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak said that the government is committed to addressing gambling cases, but that the nature of these cases differs from other cases, such as landmine cases, where the authorities can set a certain period of time to work on the issues.

The case of gambling, however, can overlap over time and be challenging to tackle, he said, pointing out that gambling now takes place a great many times online where everyone with a smartphone can be involved in it. And monitoring phone usage is challenging and can be seen as a violation of privacy, he said.

“Please understand this,” Sokhak said. “When the victims are not willing to share the information with us, it’s hard to identify the areas of the problem. But, the ministry is committed to combat gambling and crackdown on the problems across the country. We need cooperation.”

From January to the first week of December 2024, more than 900 locations of gambling have been cracked down, according to the authorities. Of which, some 400 cases were sent to court while some 520 cases have been dealt with through education measures, Touch Sokhak said.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry has called for the immediate cessation of all production of content related to illegal gambling, whether in person or online, and the cessation of websites, accounts, or pages on social media that contain images and content related to illegal gambling.

The Ministry of Interior states that stopping the dissemination and sharing of images and content related to all types of illegal gambling is imperative, and that the authorities must implement strict measures to monitor and prohibit the dissemination of illegal gambling-related images and content.

Interior Minister Sar Sokha said that the sub-national administrations must inform people of the consequences of illegal gambling in order to implement the government’s “Safe Villages, Communes, and Sangkats” policy.

Lay Sopheavorty contributed to the story.