Best 42 Online Casino​s in Cambodia

Cambodia is a sovereign state located in southern Asia. It occupies a territory of 181,035 kilometres and has an estimated population of 15 million. The country gained independence from France in 1953 and it is known by its official name the Kingdom of Cambodia. Buddhism is the official state religion and it is practised by around 97% of the population.

The Kingdom of Cambodia is an elective constitutional monarchy, which is chosen by the Royal Council of the Throne. Speaking of its territory, Cambodia borders Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. Its minority groups include Vietnamese, Chinese, Chams, and around 30 hill tribes.

Despite being a relatively poor country with a per capita that is lower than the neighbouring countries, Cambodia has one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia. Its growth averaged 7.6% in the last decade. Agriculture is the most developed industry in the country, followed by textiles, construction, tourism, and garments. Yet, Cambodia still has big problems with poverty, corruption, lack of political freedom, and a high rate of hunger, which is why it ranks extremely low in the Human Development Index.

The gambling industry has a pretty complicated relationship with the Cambodian government. The 1996 Law on the Suppression of Gambling states that all gambling-related activities are legal for tourists, but illegal for the residents.

Operators can be based and offer their services in Cambodia, but they can only do it to foreigners. It is worth noting that this rule is not strictly followed or enforced as many Cambodians still end up visiting land-based casinos to enjoy various gambling games.

When it comes to online gambling, there is no specific law or act that regulates this activity, but since the 1996 Law on the Suppression of Gambling is very general and states that all types of gambling are illegal for Cambodians, it is presumed that this activity is illegal as well. But, the law is not very enforced, which is why many Cambodians end up registering at online casinos.

The history of gambling in Cambodia does not have too many details. It has been illegal for Cambodians for a long time. The 1996 Law on the Suppression of Gambling even specifically stated that all forms of gambling are illegal for the residents, whereas tourists that come to the country can play at land-based gambling facilities without any issues.

There was a time when basic forms of slot machines were legal in the country, but after a series of violent disrupts over gambling debts by the residents, the government decided to shut things down, hence made the activity illegal in 2009.

An interesting fact about land-based gambling is that over the course of 2018, the government handed out over 50 gambling licenses to operators. That was a 50% increase from the number in 2017. Statistics even showed that around 1.6 million Chinese go to Cambodia for the purpose of gambling and accounted for around 26% of the total number of tourists that visited the country.

Thanks to the massive handout by the government, the country had over 150 land-based casinos, 90 of which were located in Sihanoukville. Around 2015, online casinos also started to gain publicity. Many Cambodians started registering at these sites, even though they were formally labelled as illegal.

The gambling industry nowadays is very fruitful in Cambodia. Even though it is available only to tourists, millions of foreigners visit the country for the sole purpose of gambling and having a pleasant casino gaming experience.

Considering the fact that the law that states that Cambodians are not allowed to gamble is not strictly enforced, many Cambodians even participate in these activities. More so, they register at online casinos with ease as the government does not have strict regulations that can block foreign sites and make them unable to offer their services to Cambodian players.

The government collects millions of dollars in tax money in recent years from this industry, and an interesting fact about this industry is that men who don't gamble are often viewed as not masculine.

The future of online casinos in Cambodia is a bit shady for a few reasons. First of all, the argument as to why this industry should be legalized is that many Cambodians already participate in these types of activities and gambling is deeply embedded in their culture. As stated, men who do not gamble are not even considered masculine.

But, history taught the people there that legalizing gambling will cause nothing but problems. A reminder – slot machines were once allowed in the country, but violence due to gambling debt spiked and the government was forced to make them illegal.

The only legal game is the lottery, which is deeply loved by the residents.

As of 2021, the law states that gambling is legal and illegal at the same time. Here’s how. Cambodians are prohibited from accessing and playing casino games. The only gambling-related game that is considered legal in the country is the state lottery.

But, foreigners are more than welcome to go to the land-based casinos in the country and enjoy many of the casino games that are offered at these facilities. Statistics have shown that millions of tourists go to Cambodia each year with the sole purpose of gambling. That is the reason why the government can collect millions of dollars in taxes from this industry.

Online casinos are not strictly regulated in Cambodia, but the law is very general and states that all forms of gambling are illegal for Cambodians. Hence, it is an accepted fact that the law is also applied to online casinos, which means that they too are prohibited.

But, this industry is not controlled by the government, which is why many Cambodians access off-shore casino sites, register, and play the latest casino games with ease. Yes, there are penalties for those that get caught gambling illegally, but the thing is that this happens very rarely.

Since gambling is illegal for Cambodians, there is no specific authority that regulates these activities. The casinos that own a license and are able to offer gambling services to foreigners are supervised directly by the government of Cambodia. As for the law that regulates gambling, the 1996 Law on the Suppression of Gambling states that all forms of gambling are illegal in the country.

Considering the fact that online casinos are not strictly regulated in Cambodia, players can access them. But, they do that at their own risks since many unlicensed/scam sites operate in the region as well. Hence, Cambodian players are often on the lookout for sites that are licensed by reputable authorities. Some of those are the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission.

According to the 1996 Law on the Suppression of Gambling, Cambodians that get caught gambling will face a fine that goes up to 50,000 Riels or even 1 month in prison. But, history showed that this does not happen too often.

Gambling may be illegal in Cambodia, but that does not prevent people from participating in these activities. The number one most popular game in the country is poker, specifically Texas Hold’em and Omaha.

Poker is a casino game that requires a lot of skill, rather than luck, and has very rewarding prize pools. The skillset makes the game challenging, which is appealing to Cambodian players, while the prize pool is the cherry on top. Many Cambodians access online casinos or go to illegal dens just to play this game.

Next up, we have slots. These games were once legal in Cambodia and were very popular, but due to gambling-related crimes, the government decided to shut them down in 2009. Nevertheless, slots remained very popular in the country and are adored by many players.

The lottery is the only form of legal gambling in the country and since gambling is very popular in Cambodia, the people will grab on to any gambling-related activity that they can play. The state holds a monopoly in this market, but that does not seem to bother the players too much.

Since online casinos have become extremely accessible in Cambodia, even though they are considered illegal, players are always looking to register and play at these sites. However, they are always searching for sites that are supplied by reputable game providers.

With that being said, some of the suppliers that Cambodian players are always on the lookout for are Yggdrasil, Nolimit City, Quickspin and Asia Gaming. Some of these providers, such as Asia Gaming, are known for supplying numerous games that are themed with Asian culture, which is a good addition and benefit for the players.

Bitcoin has recorded a surge in popularity recently, which is why numerous online casinos started accepting it as a payment method. Not only that, but game providers even supplied them with tons of Bitcoin games that are very unique in their gameplay and theme.

These games are played by some Cambodians, but they are not too popular. Since Cambodia is a country that deals with a high level of poverty and hunger, not many people can afford to buy Bitcoin, let alone use it to play specific Bitcoin games.

As stated earlier, many Cambodians are more than willing to access online casinos and register at these sites. They are always pleased to know that they are welcomed with a nice welcome package, which is why this bonus is the most preferred one.

In most cases, welcome bonuses come with a match deposit bonus and Free Spins that can be used on certain games selected by the online casinos. Free Spins as a standalone bonus is also very popular. Slot games are among the most loved casino games by Cambodians, and since Free Spins can only be used on slots, it is easy to conclude why they are among the most preferred bonuses.

Cashback bonuses that apply to live dealer games are the third most preferred bonus in Cambodia. Cashbacks are usually provided to players that access live dealer games. Poker is often featured as a live dealer game and due to the fact that they provide the players with a unique gaming experience, Cambodians love to receive these bonuses on a regular basis.

First of all, every casino bonus is available only to registered players at that certain site. To claim welcome bonuses, players must make a deposit. The required amount varies from one casino site to another.

Claiming Free Spins as a bonus requires the player to just log in on a specific day. But, these bonuses are part of bonus packages, which is why they too require the player to make a certain deposit. As for cashbacks, they are given on a selected category (live dealer games in most cases) over a certain period. The player must play the selected category on which the bonus is applied to receive a minimum and maximum limit of the lost amount over a specific period.

Some online casinos even require players to type in bonus codes before they can claim the aforementioned bonuses. Players may also be required to contact the Support team. To check what are the casino’s policies on bonuses and promotions and how to claim them, it is best to visit the Promotions tab of the selected online casino.

The number one payment method in Cambodia are e-wallets. Since transactions with credit and debit cards are easy to be traced and gambling is considered illegal for Cambodians, the players resort to e-wallets like Neteller, Skrill and PayPal to deposit and withdraw money. The good thing about these payment methods is that they give the players instant deposits and instant withdrawals.

The bad thing about them is that they often come with fees, especially on withdrawals. Not only that, but many online casinos do not consider e-wallets as eligible payment methods for claiming bonuses.

Cash is the second-most popular payment method in Cambodia. Land-based gambling remains very popular, even though it is illegal. The law states that casinos may operate, but Cambodians are not allowed to enter them. This rule is not strictly enforced, which is why Cambodians go to these facilities and use cash to deposit and play the best casino games at that particular casino.

Even though there is a risk factor involved, credit and debit cards are still being used by Cambodians. They are popular, just as not as the aforementioned ones. Credit and debit cards are very reliable, accepted at pretty much every online casino, and provide the players with fast transactions. Withdrawals may not be as fast as e-wallets, but the good thing is that they come without any fees.

Wing has also made a positive impact on the Cambodian market recently. Finally, Bitcoin can be used from time to time as this cryptocurrency has tons of great advantages. It has all the best features from both credit and debit cards and e-wallets. All transactions made with Bitcoin are instant, they are very secure since the cryptocurrency provides the players with a certain level of online anonymity, and fees are not applied for deposits or withdrawals.