Malaysia To Block Online Gambling Activities

The current gambling laws in Malaysia are subject to change, due to its Government’s announcements about preventing access to online casinos and their mobile applications. The new set of laws will be introduced in the Common Gaming House Act 1953, and it will specifically target online gaming sites.

The Government and its Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, are to discuss whether an amendment or a completely new regulation is necessary to prevent gambling activities. A lot of online casinos are accessible via smartphones and tablets, which is the main reason for certain loopholes that need to be plugged.

Authorities have also launched a huge police campaign against online gambling websites, in collaboration with Interpol and several telecommunication companies. The spreading of online gaming content from other countries to Malaysia has been blocked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which prevented access to more than 310 online casinos.

Back in 2015, MCMC received a total number of 940 applications from the authorities, with only one purpose – to block access to online gambling, due to its proactive promoting and offensive activities that are considered illegal under the Common Gaming House Act 1953.

The country has even deported 416 Chinese nationals who are believed to have been involved in a Macau scam syndicate. A hundred more are under investigation by the police, which has carried 5,913 operations across Malaysia since last September, when Mohamad Fuzi Harun was appointed as the inspector-general.

Zahidi said that fighting against gambling is a responsibility and commitment of all parties, including non-governmental organisations and various consumer groups. The deputy minister has also stated that the dangers of gambling should be fought through various means such as road shows and seminars, regardless of its nature – online or offline. It remains a mystery whether NGOs will assist the Goverment at this point, which is highly dependant on the information from this sector.

Source:

“Malaysia to amend laws to curb online gambling“, calvinayre.com, October 24, 2017.