The Malaysian government is currently revising the 1953 Public Gambling Act and the Betting Act to address the increasing prevalence of illegal gambling in the digital age. This reform, led by the Royal Malaysian Police, has officially submitted 12 amendments, aiming to adapt the legal system to the new challenges of online and remote gambling.
One of the key revisions is the formal inclusion of "remote gambling" in the legal definition, thus providing a clear legal basis for combating online gambling platforms. The new proposal will impose harsher penalties on offenders: players could face fines of up to 100,000 Malaysian Ringgit (approximately 23,600 USD) and six months of imprisonment, while illegal operators could be subjected to fines of up to 1 million Malaysian Ringgit and 12 months of imprisonment.
This legislative amendment will also grant greater authority to regulatory bodies. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and deputy public prosecutors will be authorized to block gambling websites, freeze related bank transactions, and make electronic documents admissible as court evidence.
According to police data, since 2021 until May 2025, over 4200 illegal gambling websites have been requested to be blocked; and since the launch of "Operation Dadu" in 2019, more than 42,000 raids have been conducted, resulting in the arrest of nearly 60,000 individuals.
This reform signifies Malaysia's move towards a more deterrent and technologically adaptive gambling regulatory system, aiming to fundamentally curb the spread of online gambling.
