Organizational Communication Dynamics in Online Gambling Criminal Networks: A Case Study of Recruitment Communication in Cambodia within the ASEAN Context

This study examines organizational communication in the recruitment of new members into online gambling operations, focusing on the experiences of four individuals with direct work experience in online gambling operations associated with Cambodia, alongside one legal expert. Using a qualitative case-study approach within a constructivist paradigm, data were collected through in-depth interviews and a review of relevant literature and documents. The analysis followed the interactive model of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, interpreted through George Herbert Mead’s concepts of mind, self, and society. The findings suggest that recruitment communication relied on pre-existing interpersonal relationships, persuasive representations of employment and income, and the gradual development of trust. After recruitment, communication was described as hierarchical, with differentiated roles, instructions, coordination, performance expectations, and rules governing members’ conduct. Repeated interactions also shaped members’ understandings of their work and their sense of belonging to the group. These findings should be understood as accounts and interpretations of the participants’ experiences, rather than as independently verified descriptions of all online gambling networks across ASEAN. The study contributes a context-bound account of how communication can shape recruitment, organizational relationships, and group identity in a criminal setting.