"The five men and 24 businesses in Kok An sanctions", 1 May 2026

The U.S. government … announced new sanctions targeting casino operators in Cambodia for their alleged ties to the cyberscam industry, hitting both their gambling operations and industries beyond that…

Kok An has denied the allegations that he played a role in the online scam industry…

Kok An has said that he was solely a casino operator for Crown properties in Bavet, Chrey Thom, Sihanoukville, Poipet among other locations. He added in an interview that managers rented space in casino properties to businesses including online casinos, in spite of Cambodian law banning online gambling businesses…

Anco Specialized Bank had not been directly linked to the illicit activity by OFAC but it was flagged because it’s chaired by Kok An…

Kok An has several businesses in the utilities space, including construction and operation of water supply and electricity. The sanctions announcement did not describe specific issues related to Kok An’s utilities holdings, but mentioned they would be sanctioned because they are chaired by the businessman and senator. OFAC issued an update on the same day, noting that U.S. entities are still permitted to make transactions with Anco “that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the treatment or distribution of drinking water.”…

Kok An spoke publicly … following the announcement, denying the allegations that he played a role in the online scam industry.

“I do not have any concerns because I have done nothing wrong,” he told ...

Kok An continued that he was only aware of the casino businesses, and denied any knowledge of online fraud. However he said in the interview that some managers in his casinos rented to online casinos, which were banned in Cambodia via a 2019 mandate effective in 2020...

Kok An added that he stopped renting space to businesses after the Interior Ministry’s January regulations penalizing residence owners for hosting improperly documented foreigners…