(Dili): Cambodian Senate President, Samdech Techo Hun Sen urged governments worldwide to intensify efforts to educate their citizens about the dangers of online gambling, as the activity has rapidly spread across the globe.

Samdech Techo spoke on Friday (May 9) during a keynote address on "Lessons from Samdech Techo Hun Sen: Cambodia’s Journey from Genocide and Poverty to Freedom and Development” in Dili, Timor-Leste.

In addition to calling on governments to raise awareness among their citizens, Samdech Techo Hun Sen underlined that combating illegal online gambling is even more challenging than fighting drug addiction. He pointed out that online gambling and online fraud can occur anywhere, as long as there is internet access, enabling immediate activity.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen shared his belief that an effective strategy to fight drugs begins with cutting off the market for substances. Similarly, in the fight against illegal online gambling, it is crucial to eliminate access to these platforms.

On the occasion, Samdech Techo Hun Sen also addressed criticism from several countries, which have accused Cambodia of becoming a hub for online fraud. He explained that criminal groups exploit vulnerable individuals by offering them high-paying job opportunities in Cambodia. In this context, Samdech Techo expressed concern that Cambodia, which once only feared war, has now become a haven for international online scammers.

Samdech Techo underscored, “Online fraud does not only happen in Cambodia. It has spread everywhere, and managing it is extremely difficult, so much so that we would need to shut down the entire internet to control it. I am raising this issue again: why do some countries blame Cambodia? Why don’t they blame themselves? I am saying that they should educate their citizens not to engage in online gambling. Even in the United States, people lose billions of dollars to gambling, yet the US government does not seem to take the matter seriously or educate its citizens about the dangers of online gambling, yet they point fingers at others.”

At the same time, Samdech Techo Hun Sen called on all countries to implement educational measures to prevent their citizens from engaging in illegal online gambling, particularly to avoid falling victim to the deceptive tactics of international criminal organisations.

Under Prime Minister Hun Manet’s leadership, the Cambodian government continues to crack down on illegal online gambling and internet-based fraud with strict enforcement measures. Authorities have shut down illicit websites, removed all forms of online gambling advertisements, and maintained ongoing operations to eliminate these unlawful activities.
=FRESH NEWS