Malaysia: Police Raid 373 Online Casinos in Two Months

As part of a major crackdown on online gambling in Malaysia, police in Perak have conducted a total of 373 raids on unlicensed gambling establishments across the state during the past two months. Each raid targeted a location that was believed to have been operating illegal computerized gambling services.  

Perak CID chief Datuk Mohd Dzuraidi Ibrahim has offered a few details about the operation. As a result of these raids, 1,227 unlicensed gaming machines have been seized, and 104 arrests have been made. Police have also called upon the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) to request that electricity be cut to 96 premises to prevent further illegal gambling from taking place.  

"So far, the electricity supply to 19 premises involved had been cut, while the others are still waiting for TNB's approval," a police spokesperson explained.  

The raids, seizures and arrest are all being made as part of an ongoing operation against unlicensed electronic gambling, pursuant to Section 4B (a) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953. 

Internet gambling in Malaysia is prohibited. Until recently, however, the ban on internet and electronic gaming in the country has only been loosely enforced. The country has a system in place that is similar to the UIGEA in the United States – it effectively moves the problem into the hands of banks and financial institutions, asking them to refrain from helping players fund online gambling activities. Banks, however, tend to ignore the demands, and Malaysian players often succeed in gambling at online casinos that are hosted in other countries.