Cambodian authorities have revoked the licences of four casinos linked to alleged Chinese scam king Chen Zhi as part of an ongoing crackdown on cybercrime.
The Commercial Gambling Management Commission announced Thursday that it sanctioned three casinos in Sihanoukville—Jinbei, Jinbei 4, and GC Casino—and Golden Fortune in Kandal Province. Another venue, Casino Khom in Kampot, also had its licence suspended.
Regulatory advisor Chhoeng Chantha said the licences were revoked due to links to Zhi’s business alliance. The commission said the action aims to strengthen regulation and ensure lawful gaming operations.
According to The Kiri Post, Cambodian law enforcement shut down 190 scam operations between January and February, including 44 gaming halls suspected of technology-based fraud.
Zhi, a Chinese national who relocated to Cambodia during the country’s casino boom, founded Prince Group Holdings, a Phnom Penh-based conglomerate with interests in real estate development, financial services, and consumer businesses. Investigators allege the group was tied to a global “pig-butchering” online fraud network that at one point generated up to US$30 million a day.
A 2025 report by CNN described Zhi as a former internet café operator who built his fortune in Cambodia. The report said his wealth funded luxury assets such as yachts, private jets, and high-end properties, as well as art purchases including a Picasso acquired at a New York auction.
“Chen Zhi isn’t a mob boss as we traditionally conceive of them,” transnational crime expert Jacob Sims told CNN. “He is (or rather was) the polished face of a state-protected criminal economy.”
Authorities allege that fraud operations connected to his network exploited trafficked workers from dozens of countries to scam victims worldwide.
Zhi’s influence in Cambodia reportedly extended to high-level political connections, including travel in 2022 with former prime minister Hun Sen on an official visit to Cuba in an advisory capacity. Reports also said he later entered the United States using a diplomatic passport issued by a foreign government official.
However, in January, law enforcement arrested Zhi and deported him to China, where he faces charges including fraud, money laundering, human trafficking, and torture.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/25/117749-cambodia-revokes-casino-licences-linked-to-alleged-chinese-scam-king-chen-zhi
