Malaysia Increases Penalties for Gambling, Limits Lottery Draws
Malaysias Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng, declared that punishments for bettors and betting operators will be amplified as part of the nation’s 2020 financial plan.
The financial plan, revealed on Friday (October 11th), also indicates that the quantity of four-digit lottery draws run by Number Forecast Operators (NFOs) will be lessened from 11 times annually to 8 times.
Previously, there was no least jail term for wagering under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953. Now, the minimum sentence will be at least six months in detention. Furthermore, the maximum fine for unlawful bettors will be boosted 20 times from 5,000 Malaysian Ringgit (£943/$1,084/€1,193) to 100,000 Malaysian Ringgit.
For unlawful betting operators, the minimum fine will be increased from 5,000 Malaysian Ringgit to 1 million Malaysian Ringgit. Previously, the maximum fine for running illegal gambling was 50,000 Malaysian Ringgit, but the new financial plan does not mention a maximum fine.
Besides the NFO four-digit game, all Malaysian residents are prohibited from betting, though the country permits foreigners to wager at the Genting Highlands resort.
Law enforcement officials in Malaysia have declared the apprehension of 247 individuals connected to illicit online wagering activities aimed at Chinese citizens. Authorities stated that this action followed a forceful suppression campaign that resulted in the monthly earnings of these operations reaching 24.8 million ringgit (equivalent to $5.9 million).
During raids conducted between September 25th and October 3rd, authorities confiscated assets valued at 3.12 billion ringgit.
This crackdown represents the most recent in a series of actions across Southeast Asia targeting online gambling operations focused on China. Similar crackdowns have also taken place in Cambodia and the Philippines.
The proposed budget document did not include any modifications to the maximum prison sentence for online gamblers, which remains at six months. The maximum prison term for unlawful operators is three years.
The budget bill requires parliamentary approval to become law. However, it is not anticipated to encounter any obstacles as the nation’s budget is viewed as a matter of public trust.