Malaysia to explore tighter online gambling laws
New legislation to be discussed early next year in a bid to clamp down on offshore gambling
Malaysia’s government will consider implementing stricter online gambling regulations next year as part of a wider clampdown on offshore gambling.
The country’s attorney-general Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said yesterday (Monday) his chambers would submit a proposal to amend existing laws or draft new ones in a bid to curb “illegal” gambling, which Gani said is mostly done online.
“It is necessary not because the existing law is obsolete, the problem now is because many illegal gambling activities are done online,” he told the Malaysian Star newspaper.
Gambling in Malaysia is governed by the Common Gaming House and Betting Acts 1953 which has no application for virtual or online gambling, something which Gani said would change under new proposals.
There is just one bricks and mortar casino, Genting Highlands, in the country.
Discussions with relevant agencies in the country are to begin early next year and a firm proposal will follow soon after, however it is not yet known how stringent future egaming legislation could be.
Last week Playtech CEO Mor Weizer discussed Asian online gambling regulation and stated that any developments in Malaysia would be “monitored closely”. He claimed Asian regulation mirrors that of Europe several years ago and that it would eventually progress to a more liberal stance.
The announcement comes less than a month after Singapore’s parliament passed a new gambling bill effectively prohibiting all forms of online gambling following 11 months of discussions.
Singapore’s law only allows a narrow exemption for not-for-profit sports betting operators based in Singapore who also contribute to social causes, despite the country having previously looked set to introduce Hong Kong-styled regulation.