Cambodian regulators have pulled the operating licence of Roxy Casino in Bavet City after an investigation uncovered ties between the venue and online fraud operations, according to local reports.
Key takeaways
- The CGMC revoked Roxy Casino's licence after a 21 May inspection found links to online fraud.
- Authorities detained 25 Chinese nationals and seized computers, phones and vehicles as evidence.
- Financial investigators are now tracing bank accounts tied to operator Radiant Pearl Investment Limited.
- The case is part of Cambodia's wider crackdown on scam compounds amid international pressure.
The move is the latest in Cambodia's intensifying campaign against scam compounds and illegal online crime networks, a problem that has drawn mounting international scrutiny in recent years.
Licence cancelled after on-site inspection
The Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMC) revoked the casino's licence on Thursday, following an inspection conducted on 21 May, local newspaper The Phnom Penh Post reported.
The inspection formed part of a broader push targeting scam compounds nationwide — a crackdown driven by growing pressure from international bodies and human rights groups over alleged criminal activity at certain gambling venues. According to reports, investigators found evidence linking Roxy Casino to online fraud, prompting regulators to withdraw its right to operate.
25 Chinese nationals detained
During the raid, authorities detained 25 Chinese nationals and confiscated a range of items, including computers, mobile phones, vehicles and other electronic equipment. Officials say subsequent analysis of the seized devices confirmed connections between the casino and online fraud schemes.
The probe has since widened beyond the casino floor. The CGMC has asked the Cambodia Financial Intelligence Unit (CAFIU) for information on bank accounts tied to the casino's operator, Radiant Pearl Investment Limited, and has also requested details of accounts linked to previous licence holders as it examines potential financial trails in the case.
A crackdown fuelled by international pressure
Cambodia has stepped up its efforts against scam compounds amid international alarm over reports of human trafficking, forced labour, torture and online fraud allegedly run out of some casino properties and entertainment complexes.
Amnesty International has been critical of how the Cambodian government has handled the issue. In a report published earlier this year, the rights organisation questioned why casinos with documented links to trafficking and abuse continued to receive official approval. In April, it named 12 Cambodian casinos whose licences had been renewed by the CGMC in December 2025 and January 2026 despite what it described as recent evidence of human rights abuses at those sites. Roxy Casino was not among the venues on that list.
Roxy Casino's roots in Bavet City
Roxy Casino opened in mid-2014 in Bavet City, a prominent gambling hub on Cambodia's border with Vietnam. Its location — roughly 87 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City and about 160 kilometres from Phnom Penh — was chosen to draw Vietnamese visitors.
At its grand opening in August 2014, the complex was owned by Cell Aquaculture Ltd, a company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Roxy Casino at a glance (2014 opening)
- 15 gaming tables and nine online gaming tables
- Five high-stakes tables in a premium gaming area
- 14 slot machines and two electronic roulette machines
- A dedicated sports betting section
The revocation stands as one of the most recent enforcement actions by Cambodian regulators as they continue to investigate alleged online fraud operations connected to gambling venues across the country.
