Cambodia has rejected Amnesty International’s criticism that its campaign against online scam operations has been largely superficial.
The government said its nationwide enforcement drive has produced concrete results, including more than 400 solved cases and action against 25 casino licenses, according to local media outlet The Cambodia China Times.
The report was published on Wednesday, two days after Amnesty International released findings saying Cambodia’s high-profile campaign against online scam compounds had failed to dismantle most identified sites.
Chhay Sinarith, minister attached to the Prime Minister and secretary-general of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking and Cyber Scam, said the Cambodian government is continuing large-scale operations across the country to combat technology-related crime, which he described as fast-evolving and increasingly complex.
Amnesty said it had identified 86 scamming compounds across Cambodia as of the end of April 2026, up from 53 sites in its June 2025 report, and found evidence of state intervention at only 24 of them. The rights group said more than 70 percent of the sites it identified appeared to have been bypassed by the crackdown.
Chhay Sinarith said reports by international organizations may not fully reflect the situation on the ground. He said describing Cambodia’s enforcement campaign as superficial was inconsistent with the facts and overlooked the long-running efforts made by the government and law enforcement agencies.
From July 2025 to May 20th, 2026, Cambodian authorities solved more than 400 online scam cases, revoked or suspended 25 casino licenses, and sent 143 cases to court, Chhay Sinarith said.
Those cases involved 1,458 suspects, including 201 women, from 19 countries and regions, he added.
Hong Kong-listed International Entertainment Corporation (IEC) is set to enter the Philippine online gaming market after its subsidiary signed a cooperation agreement with Total Gamezone Xtreme Incorporated (TGXI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Philippine-listed gaming operator DigiPlus Interactive Corp.
According to a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, New Coast Leisure Inc. (NCLI), an indirect subsidiary of IEC and operator of LaVie Resort & Casino Manila, entered into the agreement with TGXI on June 9th, after trading hours.
The two parties will collaborate on a non-exclusive basis on the integration, aggregation, provision, technical support, and operation of approved online games and related gaming content through an online gaming platform connected with the Manila property, subject to approval from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and applicable laws and regulations.
The agreement follows IEC’s April 17th announcement of its intention to commence online gaming and deepens the company’s ties with DigiPlus, which holds convertible bonds issued by IEC with a principal amount of HK$1.6 billion ($205 million). Full conversion of the notes would give the Philippine group a 53.89 percent controlling stake in IEC.
Under the cooperation agreement, NCLI will be responsible for maintaining its PAGCOR licenses, regulatory reporting and compliance obligations, tracking and auditing of daily gaming activities, and internal reviews.
TGXI, described in the filing as an experienced online gaming operator, will provide the gaming software system, game aggregation, game content certified by Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) or another PAGCOR-recognized laboratory, technical support, and operational data to assist NCLI’s compliance work.
The agreement has an initial term of two years and will be automatically renewed for successive one-year periods unless either party gives at least 30 days’ written notice of non-renewal. The filing did not disclose a fixed revenue-sharing ratio; revenue, fees, and commissions will be split based on the ‘actual undertaking and contributions of the parties.’
NCLI obtained its online gaming licenses in 2025, comprising the Electronic (e-Casino) Games Operator license, accreditation as a Gaming System Administrator of PAGCOR-licensed gaming venues for electronic games, and accreditation as a Game Content Provider. The board said the cooperation enables the group to leverage this licensing status while drawing on TGXI’s existing platform.
The structure ‘allows the Group to capitalize on TGXI’s established Online Gaming infrastructure, significantly reducing the time and resources required to build a platform from the ground up,’ the company said in the filing, adding that the group ‘is positioned to enter the Online Gaming industry efficiently, compliantly, and competitively.’
The board cited the rapid expansion of the Philippine online gaming sector, pointing to a forecast by market research firm IMARC Group that the country’s gaming market will reach $9.87 billion by 2033, representing a compound annual growth rate of 8.29 percent for 2025 to 2033. It also noted PAGCOR’s reforms in early 2025, which reduced licensing fees from 55 percent to 30 percent for land-based operators and 25 percent for integrated resorts.
The filing noted that the platform will apply internet protocol blocking to all non-Philippine IP addresses, with player registration and bets from outside the country not accepted. On that basis, IEC’s Hong Kong legal adviser confirmed the operation will not contravene the city’s Gambling Ordinance.
Good morning. The UAE’s gaming regulator has named Ciarán Carruthers as its new CEO, putting a seasoned industry hand in charge as the country’s commercial gaming ambitions move closer to reality. Carruthers brings nearly four decades of experience, including top roles at Crown Resorts, Wynn Macau and Sands China, and will help guide the GCGRA as it builds a responsible and transparent regulatory model. In credit markets, MGM China remains under the microscope, with CreditSights saying a People Inc. takeover could affect bond protections differently across its 2027, 2031 and 2033 notes.
Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech, explores how surging crypto adoption across Asia is revolutionizing iGaming payments, stating: “When I look at what’s changing fastest in Asia, it’s payment behavior,” as wallets, stablecoins, and seamless cross-border transfers become deeply ingrained in player habits. The winning operators will be those that offer fast, reliable, and local deposits and withdrawals. To make sense of it, Yevhen breaks Asia into two crypto realities.
South Korea’s Gambling Control Commission has launched a targeted crackdown on illegal online betting ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, introducing a financial incentive program that pays ordinary citizens to report illegal gambling websites to authorities.
The campaign, which runs from June 8th to July 31st, encourages both members of the public and industry stakeholders to submit information on platforms facilitating illegal betting targeting South Korean users. Reports can be submitted through the commission’s “Illegal Gambling Industry Monitoring and Reporting Centre” website or a dedicated tipline. Verified reports will be actioned in coordination with the National Police Agency and the Korea Communications Standards Commission, which handles site-blocking orders.
The incentive structure is tiered. A payment of KRW10,000 ($7) is available for each report that results in a site being blocked. That increases to KRW50,000 ($36) where the report includes bank account details linked to the illegal operator. Claimants must submit concrete evidence, including screen captures of activity such as bets placed, deposits or withdrawals, along with site login credentials. Payments are capped at KRW600,000 ($436) per person per month, with disbursements for sites blocked by end of August to be paid out in a lump sum between late September and early October.
The GCC, an agency under the Prime Minister’s Office, said enforcement investigations would be pursued beyond site-blocking where warranted, and that collaboration with licensed operators would be increased to intensify monitoring during the tournament period.
Commission chairman Choi Byung-hwan framed the campaign in public health terms, stating that the goal was to ensure the World Cup remained a “healthy sports festival” free from illegal gambling activity. “The Gambling Control Commission will concentrate all its capabilities on eradicating illegal gambling sites,” Choi said, adding that “active interest and reporting are the most effective ways to prevent the spread of illegal gambling.”
The initiative arrives at a moment of heightened enforcement attention in South Korea. Gangwon Provincial Police last week confirmed it had launched an investigation into domestic users of US prediction market platform Polymarket on suspicion of illegal gambling — understood to be the first probe targeting individual users of the platform in the country. That case has highlighted the difficulty of policing digital platforms that technically operate outside South Korean jurisdiction but remain accessible without circumvention tools and impose no restrictions on Korean users transacting in stablecoins.
The World Cup reward scheme addresses a different but related problem: the proliferation of illegal offshore bookmakers that aggressively target Korean consumers during major tournaments. South Korea permits only tightly restricted legal betting, state-backed Sports Toto with a KRW100,000 ceiling per bet, horse racing, and a single foreigner-only casino. The gap between permitted and desired gambling activity has historically created fertile ground for illegal operators, particularly around events like the World Cup and major domestic sporting seasons.
South Korea is not alone in mobilizing ahead of the tournament. Hong Kong police issued a similar public warning this week, reminding residents that placing bets with foreign bookmakers – including platforms legally registered overseas – constitutes an offense under the Gambling Ordinance. Authorities in Macau, South Africa, Malta and the Netherlands have also signaled heightened monitoring ahead of the June 11th kickoff.
Hong Kong police have warned football fans that using overseas betting websites during the upcoming FIFA World Cup could violate local gambling laws, even if operators claim to be licensed or legally registered in other jurisdictions.
The warning comes ahead of an expected increase in football wagering activity during the tournament, which begins on June 11th, and follows FIFA’s appointment of its first official prediction market partner for the event. Authorities stressed that Hong Kong residents who place wagers with any bookmaker outside authorized channels may face prosecution under the city’s Gambling Ordinance, regardless of where the operator is based.
“Some online gambling websites claim they are legally registered overseas,” said Chief Inspector Wong Yu-fai of the Hong Kong Police Force’s organized crime and triad bureau. “But anyone gambling on these so-called legal websites in Hong Kong may already have committed the offense of betting with a bookmaker.”
The warning follows FIFA’s April announcement naming Gibraltar-registered ADI Predictstreet as the official prediction market partner of the 2026 World Cup. The Abu Dhabi-based platform allows users to make predictions on match results, tournament statistics, and player performances.
Although police did not specifically name the company, officers said that, based on their understanding, such officially affiliated prediction or betting platforms would only be available to registered users in certain European jurisdictions and would not legally permit users in places such as Hong Kong to participate. Police also cautioned against attempts to bypass restrictions through VPNs or other technologies, noting that the determining factor under local law was whether a monetary transaction with a bookmaker had occurred.
Authorities recorded 374 serious gambling cases in 2025, resulting in 4,482 arrests and the seizure of more than HK$3 million ($383,000) in cash and crime proceeds. Police also confiscated betting records linked to HK$1.1 billion ($140 million) in wagers.
The figures represented a slight decrease compared with 2024, when officers handled 471 serious gambling cases and arrested 5,341 people. Police said illegal gambling activity typically rises around major international sporting events. During enforcement operations linked to Euro 2024, authorities arrested 735 people, while operations during the 2022 FIFA World Cup resulted in 1,104 arrests.
Authorities warned that illegal gambling syndicates are increasingly moving away from traditional networks and relying on digital platforms, including websites, social media, messaging applications, and mobile communication channels to recruit customers and process transactions. Wong said the shift to online operations had made investigations more complex compared with traditional bookmaking, which relied heavily on direct contact between gamblers and agents, but added that police had developed the capabilities needed to investigate digital gambling networks.
“Engaging in illegal gambling or betting is like opening the door to criminals,” he warned. “Your phone number and your bank account are now known to the criminal world.” Police added that some illegal bookmaking networks are believed to have links to organized crime groups, including triads. Authorities warned that gamblers who accumulate debts could become vulnerable to exploitation, including being pressured into providing bank accounts or assisting with other criminal activity.
Police clinical psychologist Woo Chin-pang also highlighted the risks for younger gamblers, warning that gambling problems could extend beyond financial losses and contribute to emotional distress, mental health concerns, and suicidal behavior. Woo cited the example of a 24-year-old man identified only as “Ah Hin”, who began gambling as a teenager before moving into esports and football betting. Despite earning between HK$18,000 ($2,300) and HK$19,000 ($2,430) per month, he eventually accumulated gambling debts of around HK$160,000 ($20,400).
In a police interview, the man said overseas betting websites frequently used promotions and incentives that created the impression users were receiving value, encouraging them to continue wagering. He described how small bets of HK$5 ($0.64) or HK$20 ($2.55) eventually escalated into wagers worth thousands of dollars. Authorities urged residents, particularly younger football fans, to avoid illegal betting platforms and remain aware of the risks of losing control during major sporting events.
Building on the success of its systems installed across Holland America Line, the company has outfitted all 29 Carnival Cruise Line ships with its award-winning system. Leveraging SYNKROS, known internally under the acronym “SURF” for “Serving Up Rewards and Fun”, guests across the Carnival Cruise Line fleet can now tap into personalized rewards, offers, bonuses and cashless wagering in the onboard casinos.
“We’re obsessed with giving guests the best time possible with great service, standout rewards and innovation that raises the fun factor even higher, so it’s been fantastic to roll out SURF across the entire Carnival Cruise Line fleet and make the guest experience even more rewarding,” said Marty Goldman, SVP Global Gaming at Carnival Corporation. “We look forward to bringing these exciting gaming experiences to millions more, as SURF continues to expand across Carnival Corporation’s world-class portfolio.”
Guests on Carnival Cruise Line now have access to an array of top conveniences and fun experiences spanning thousands of gaming machines and powered by Konami’s SYNKROS technology. Rewards, offers, and bonuses are tailored to the player, reflecting gaming preferences and featuring cruise-specific elements such as seamless cashless folio integration.
Leveraging top SYNKROS advancements, Carnival Corporation also delivers rewarding bonus opportunities, including the chance to take top honors in virtual prize drawings.
Tom Jingoli, President and COO, Konami Gaming
Carnival Corporation is slated to continue rolling SYNKROS enterprise-wide, including to its full portfolio of world-class cruise lines.
“Carnival Corporation continues to innovate the guest experience in every detail of the journey, demonstrated in exciting new ways across the combined 40 onboard casinos of Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line now live with top SYNKROS technology,” added Tom Jingoli, president & chief operating officer at Konami Gaming, Inc. “Konami is committed to serving Carnival Corporation’s existing SYNKROS install base with trust and reliability, while partnering collaboratively through ongoing expansion fleetwide.”
Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs has announced intensified enforcement against illegal gambling for the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, running from June 11th to July 19th, with the Singapore Police Force set to step up operations against illegal operators alongside a pair of public awareness campaigns targeting both illegal betting and problem gambling.
The announcement, made jointly with the Ministry of Social and Family Development on June 9, follows a pattern Singapore has established across successive World Cup cycles. Under the country’s Gambling Control Act, all gambling is prohibited unless specifically authorized, licensed or exempted. Singapore Pools remains the sole licensed operator for lotteries, sports betting and remote gambling services, and the MHA was explicit that all other operators – online or offline – are illegal.
The police will continue issuing directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act requiring internet service providers to block access to illegal gambling sites and related advertising. Local phone numbers used to promote illegal services will be terminated, and bank accounts and credit card payments linked to illegal operators blocked. Those found conducting illegal gambling activities face fines of up to SG$500,000 ($377,000) and imprisonment of up to seven years, rising to SG$700,000 and ten years for repeat offenders. Users who place bets with illegal operators face fines of up to SG$10,000 ($7,550), up to six months’ jail, or both.
On the awareness side, the National Council on Problem Gambling will run its “Every bet costs something” campaign across television, digital platforms and spaces near betting outlets. The council typically activates a World Cup-specific campaign every four years. NCPG chairman Sim Gim Guan said the council wanted people to enjoy the tournament “without falling into problem gambling,” warning that when betting spirals out of control, “you may lose everything that truly matters – your home, your relationships, and the trust of your loved ones.” The Straits Times reported that the campaign video features a young father who lost his possessions and family to excessive betting.
The National Crime Prevention Council will separately run a campaign focused on the risks and legal consequences of using illegal operators, across online and offline channels. The announcement comes as Singapore’s newly appointed Gambling Regulatory Authority chief executive, Daniel Tan Sin Heng, takes up the role, he was appointed on June 2nd, days before the tournament begins.
Singapore is one of several Asian jurisdictions to announce pre-tournament enforcement measures. Hong Kong police this week warned residents that placing bets with foreign bookmakers constitutes an offense under the Gambling Ordinance regardless of whether those platforms are legally registered overseas.
South Korea’s Gambling Control Commission launched a public tipline and reward scheme on June 8th, running through July 31st, that pays citizens KRW10,000 per blocked site report and up to KRW50,000 where bank account details are provided. Macau’s Judiciary Police has also launched a prevention campaign urging residents to reject illegal sports betting.
Zitro’s FANTASY cabinet has arrived at Bingo Moreno, one of Argenbingo’s flagship venues, bringing popular titles such as Brave Dragon and Lion Falls to its gaming floor.
The cabinet stands out for its spectacular design and commanding presence. High-quality graphics, dynamic lighting, and multimedia elements come together to create an experience that feels different from what players typically find on a gaming floor, with each title carrying its own color palette and visual identity.
Roque Lacquaniti, General Manager of Bingo Moreno, says the decision to bring in FANTASY came down to one thing: innovation. “We want every player who walks through our doors to find something that truly surprises them, and this cabinet checks every box for us.”
For Alejandra Burato, Zitro’s Regional Director for Latin America, the Bingo Moreno installation is further proof of the brand’s growing presence in Argentina: “The response we’ve been getting has been really positive. We’re grateful for Argenbingo’s trust and for their continued partnership as we expand across the region.”
Fresh from participating in SiGMA Asia 2026, Groove is now setting its sights on the Americas, with the award-winning platform and aggregator touching down at SBC Summit Americas 2026, bringing a global strategy forged across three continents to the fast-growing markets of North and Latin America.
Groove will showcase its continued global expansion at SBC Summit Americas (June 9–11, Fort Lauderdale), with senior leaders Yahale Meltzer and Giusy Campo engaging operators, regulators, and affiliates across the region. The event marks the latest step in a strong 2025 for the company, following regulatory milestones in Brazil and Argentina and further growth across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Groove enters Florida on the back of a transformative 2025. The company secured a license to operate in Brazil, established regulated activity in Argentina, and deepened its footprint across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Giusy Campo, Business Development Director at Groove Technologies
Giusy Campo, Business Development Director at Groove, who joined the company in 2025 to lead its charge into regulated markets, has been at the centre of this global push. She will be on the ground in Fort Lauderdale, continuing conversations that began at SiGMA Asia just days earlier: “When we move into a new region, we don’t arrive empty-handed,” said Campo. “We come with a platform built on structural resilience: predictive auto-scaling, atomic transactions, and a real-time compliance mesh that adapts to jurisdictional demands, not the other way around. Operators in the Americas face many of the same pressures as their counterparts in Asia: banking scrutiny, shifting regulations, and the need for flawless execution. Our ‘Unseen Architecture’ was built for exactly this moment.”
Campo will be meeting with operators seeking more than a game list.
“They need a partner whose platform won’t introduce compliance or operational risk into their business…That’s what we deliver. From Manila to Miami, the questions are the same. And we have the answers.”
Giusy Campo
Groove’s presence at SBC Summit Americas is the mirror image of its recent success at SiGMA Asia. In Manila, the company joined a high-stakes panel on regulatory resilience in the “Jurisdiction Jungle”. In Florida, the conversation shifts to the Americas, where the opportunities are vast, but the regulatory landscape is equally fragmented.
With over 15,000 games from more than 150 providers unified through a single API, Groove offers operators a powerful shortcut to market leadership.
SBC Summit Americas 2026 is expected to draw over 10,000 industry professionals and 400 exhibitors, covering regulation, product innovation, payment technology, cryptocurrency, AI, and cybersecurity. Groove will be positioned at the intersection of all of them, ready to show operators why the platform that just conquered Asia is now setting its sights on the Americas.
Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and CEO of Groove
Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and CEO of Groove, framed the company’s back-to-back summit presence as a matter of strategic discipline: “We don’t do ‘one-off’ events. We build continuous relationships across the markets that matter,” said Meltzer. “Asia was about demonstrating structural resilience in the face of fragmentation. The Americas require the same rigour: a platform that can scale from a single operator in Argentina to a national lottery in Brazil without breaking compliance or trust. Our nomination in Manila wasn’t an endpoint. It was a signal. Now we take that signal to Fort Lauderdale, where the real work begins.”
Meltzer emphasised that Groove’s global footprint with offices in Israel, Georgia, and Malta, and a 24/7 multilingual support team, is the operational backbone of this expansion.
“When an operator in São Paulo has a question, they get an answer from someone who understands their market context, not just their technical issue…That is the difference between a platform and a partner. We are here to be the latter, for the Americas and beyond.”
Advanced Compliance Technology (ACT), an independent provider of geolocation, sports integrity and risk solutions for the regulated global betting and gaming industry, has launched its next‑generation AI- and machine learning-powered Compliance and Integrity Platform.
Built over two years by a team with decades of expertise, ACT’s platform brings together geolocation, identity verification, fraud detection, behavioural monitoring and sports integrity checks into a single, real-time solution.
The self-optimising platform leverages advanced AI and machine learning (ML) models to process and analyse 100,000s of data points related to athletes, leagues, officials, teams, betting markets, bookmakers, player activity, transactional behaviour and geolocation intelligence.
Advanced ML models also monitor player performance, injuries and behavioural patterns to identify anomalies, suspicious activity, integrity risks and emerging compliance threats as they develop.
When an alert is raised, ACT’s team of compliance, fraud and integrity specialists are on hand to support customers with expert judgements, providing even greater confidence through human-in-the-loop oversight.
By bringing these traditionally siloed compliance disciplines together, ACT’s new dashboard provides operators, regulators and sport governing bodies with a unified view of risk across the entire player and betting lifecycle, facilitating faster, more informed decisions based on live data and risk analysis.
Mike Venner, Co-Founder and Director at Advanced Compliance Technology, said: “Traditional compliance systems were built in silos. ACT is building the next-generation oversight platform, bringing geolocation, KYC, AML, fraud detection, behavioural monitoring, and sports integrity together in a single AI and machine learning-powered ecosystem.
“By transforming fragmented data into connected intelligence, ACT identifies risks and patterns at a scale no human team could achieve alone. Combined with decades of compliance, fraud, and integrity expertise, our platform ensures that advanced technology is reinforced by experienced human oversight, delivering smarter decisions, stronger enforcement, and more effective compliance outcomes.”
