Cambodian Police Crackdown On Illegal Gambling Operations
Author:
Jacob McKenzie
The Cambodian authorities are coming together to make a maximized offensive against the country’s growing illegal gambling trade which is online and land-based. This is a huge change in policy from the Cambodian government and police forces as they have been traditionally very relaxed towards online gambling organizations. However, due to the increase in malicious activity and other unsavory actions they have been forced into action. The online betting industry in Cambodia is entrenched in criminal organizations and often has links to illegal foreign money and human trafficking which reflects incredibly poorly on the industry as a whole.
The Cambodian Authorities are cracking down on the illegal gambling trade taking place in the country. The gang activity has taken over the industry and the police are taking drastic measures to take back control of the system. ?englishlikenative/Pixabay
The Cambodian police are on a warpath as they attempt to steamroll through the country’s thriving and illicit gambling scene which has become an unfortunate victim of the increasingly violent and influential gang culture. Youths are encouraged into these organisations and the number of members is forever growing in the capital city and smaller villages on the outskirts of the country. Police are keen to cap the stem of new recruits by deterring them early and offering alternatives such as work opportunities and further education for individuals without an existing criminal record.
This is difficult to find however as many people connected with the underground online gambling scene have already made contact with the police in some form. It has grown drastically over the past few years, starting out as a few rogue members operating sites from warehouses. It now exists all over the country and has become a serious problem for the government and the legitimate gambling industry existing alongside it. The government are unable to tax illegal revenue, and this has a huge effect on its funding and budgeting capabilities as tax on gambling winnings is one of the biggest contributors every year.
There has been increasing pressure from foreign powers for Cambodia to sort this problem out, the main force acting on results is China. The largest country in Asia arguably has the worst problem with offshore gambling in the continent due to the sheer number of access points. They have turned to countries such as Indonesia and Cambodia to sort out the mess of illegal online gambling platforms as they are having a negative effect on other countries within their vicinity. China are especially ruthless to online betting setups and thus they have little to no problems with it within the borders.
Offshore gambling presents a real problem as it is out of the control of the government. While they can ban it with legislation, this isn’t enough to stop the problem. They require rooting out from the source and this is where the Cambodian police come in. They have been tasked with transforming the landscape of the countries online casino industry as it has been taken over by thugs and gangs to the point where legitimate businesses are suffering because of it. Chinese authorities have offered support in terms of manpower and intel which has been gratefully accepted by the police department. They have a lot of work to do.
How Did Cambodia Get This Bad?
The gambling industry in Cambodia was traditionally a very prosperous and taxable setup which helped to fund the government and all the projects they produced. However, over the last couple decades they have begun to lose control over the websites and their owners as gangs have slowly but surely claimed almost all of them for their own. The worst part is that some of these sites are run by enslaved workers who fly in from other countries after being promised a real job. They are then forced to maintain the sites integrity and bring in more customers or they face severe punishment and harsh treatment.
Despite this there is definitely hope for the future of the betting industry. While there is a lot of work to be done at this point, Cambodian authorities are confident that they can fix the situation and restore law and order where there was once chaos. Despite plenty of pressure from the Chinese government they are deciding to rely on their own orders and instincts. They are making a slow but sweeping move through the capital until they root out every bad seed and put an end to the illegal gambling sites that are greatly affecting the state of the industry and the economic credibility of the country.
