Malaysia’s Home Ministry told local media that it is contemplating on introducing a set of amendments to certain existing laws in a bid to cope with the constantly increasing number of illegal online gambling cases in the country.
Current Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed commented that the country’s police cannot properly curb illegal online gambling activities due to the existing laws. According to the official, changes need to be implemented in those regulations. However, this would not be an easy task as the laws are under the jurisdiction of a number of ministries.
The Minister explained that the proposed amendments cover provisions in the Lotteries Act 1952, Common Gaming House Act 1953, Communications and Multimedia Act, and Betting Ordinance 1953. According to the official, the changes would result in effective regulations for tackling illegal gambling, particularly online gambling activities.
Malaysia’s Deputy Home Minister added that the country really needs to find a quick solution to the problem as illegal Internet gambling operators have become “more slick” in the way they provide their services.
Minister Nur Jazlan said that local police officers had turned to laws under the country’s Prevention of Crime Act in order to arrest 29 people for illegal gambling. The Deputy Home Minister also explained that the Home Ministry had issued certain guidelines to instruct officials for all Malaysian states about the issuance of permits for the opening of both family and public entertainment venues and the prevention of illegal gambling activities at the same time.
Due to the somewhat archaic regulations, there were as many as 5,834 successful anti-illegal gambling operations out of more than 100,000 raids on outlets providing gambling options illegally. Minister Nur Jazlan said that of those, a total of 15,154 illegal gambling operators and customers were detained during the said raids. What is more, more than 70,000 computers and gaming machines were seized together with illegal bets of more than RM70.1 million.
The operations have been carried out during the first eleven months of the 2015. The reported figures are expected to increase significantly by the end of the year.
In September, it was announced that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has blocked 306 online gambling sites after reports that those contained criminal elements. Last year, the Commission blocked 235 such sites under the above-mentioned Common Gaming House Act 1953.
