Illegal gambling rings in Southeast Asia have become more convoluted over recent years, acting as a facade for cyber-related fraud and human trafficking.

This was revealed in the latest report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which noted that websites offering illegal gambling in the region are now a “core financial pillar” for transnational organised crime groups rather than a standalone challenge for gambling regulators.

“Illegal online gambling payment infrastructure is deeply embedded within the formal financial systems of multiple South-East Asian economies, with systemic implications for financial integrity that extend well beyond the gambling sector,” the report added.

The large amount of money moved by criminals through these infrastructures build up the corruption networks and coercion capabilities of crime gangs across Southeast Asia, transforming the matter into a security concern for the whole region.

According to the UNODC, young people remain at a high risk of exposure to these illegal gambling platforms, with the use of social media, influencer networks and gamified mobile interfaces exacerbating the issue further and continuing a major public health crisis – something that the organisation believes existing consumer protection frameworks are not equipped to address.

“The true scale of harm remains substantially undercounted, as gambling disorder remains significantly under-researched in South-East Asia, leaving policymakers to respond to a crisis that is simultaneously underreported and underexamined.”

No improvements seem to have been made towards alleviating the issue with illegal gambling platforms since the UNODC’s last report back in April 2025.

Legal reforms that sit outside of coordinated regional governance frameworks are doing little to reduce the criminal activity, rather accelerating the geographic diffusion, the UNODC noted.

As a strategy to see actual tangible results being delivered moving forward, the organisation advised regional authorities to act in unison in addressing financial infrastructures, digital marketing channels, and governance vacuums across the region.