The Betting Act 1953 (with several further amendments) is the most important of these. There are three major legal frameworks that dictate gambling laws in Malaysia: the Betting Act 1953, the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 and Shariah law. Although illegal, international betting sites accept customers from Malaysia and process deposits and withdrawals in ringgits (RM, the Malaysian currency). Technological advancements have made online gambling opportunities more accessible and more affordable. Betting on badminton and football (mostly English football – the Premier League) is immensely popular. 6ĭespite being illegal, online gambling has been increasing in popularity over the past few years in Malaysia. All three racecourses are privately owned and are regulated by the Racing Act 1961. Horse racing was introduced in Malaysia by the British during the 1800s and currently there are three racecourses and betting on horses is legal. This casino offers over 400 types of electronic table games, 3000 slot machines and 30 tables with games such as blackjack, tai sai, roulette and boule. This privately owned casino was set up in the 1970s in a very ‘Las Vegas style’ and is open 24 h a day but denies entry to Muslims and those under 21 years of age. There is only one legal land-based casino in Malaysia. Alongside these, there exist several illegal lottery businesses and it was estimated that in 2018 ‘Malaysia's illegal lottery business generated about 60 percent more revenue than the six legal operators combined’. Currently, there are six legal lotteries (all privately owned) in Malaysia).

Lotteries in Malaysia are allowed under the Lotteries Act 1952. Gambling is legal only if a license or permit has been granted by the authorities – the Unit Kawalan Perjudian (Betting Control Unit) of the Ministry of Finance. 4 Some forms of gambling, such as lotteries, casino games and horse racing, are legal in Malaysia, whereas all forms of sports betting (at bookmakers) and online gambling are illegal. Gambling, both legal and illegal forms, is very popular in Malaysia.

It would appear that gambling was ‘brought’ to Malaysia by Chinese merchants in the 19th century.

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