Gambling Laws in Malaysia

Within the Malaysian gambling legislation, the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, the Lotteries Act 1952, the Betting Act 1953 and the Pool Betting Act 1967 are considered to be the main regulatory acts of all gambling activities in the country. According to these acts, most forms of land-based gambling are illegal in Malaysia. The exception of the prohibition is given to the legally functioning land-based casinos within the area of the Resorts World Genting, an integrated hill resort around 35 km from Kuala Lumpur, and the toto and lotto games which are licensed by the Ministry of Finance. Beside these laws there are no specialized laws regarding online gambling in Malaysia. However, it is widely considered that online gambling is outlawed by the above specified legislation. 

The regulatory bodies of the land-based activities in the country are the Ministry of Finance and in some instances the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is responsible for blocking illegal access to any online gaming platform from the country. According to Malaysian gambling laws minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.

Online Casinos in Malaysia

There are various licensed land-based casino operators in Malaysia, as of February 2019, the Genting Group owning some of the most popular among them. However, due to the unregulated status of online gambling in the country, none of the casinos has so far launched an  online casino in Malaysia. Foreign internet casino sites are actively being blocked by the gambling authorities in the country.

Online Poker in Malaysia

There are several operators in Malaysia, offering land-based poker on the Malaysian market as of February 2019. However, none of them has launched online poker sites in Malaysia, licensed under the laws of this country. Although there are no special Malaysian online poker laws , and this market is rather considered to be illegal, foreign internet casino sites keep offering their products on the Malaysian market.

Online lottery in Malaysia

The Magnum Corporation and Da Ma Chai, licensed under the Malaysian lottery laws, to be  providers for all sorts of lotto games in the country, organize some of the most popular lotteries in Malaysia. Regarding online lotto, however, none of the lotteries have launched an online site, as of March 2020. Online lotto games from foreign licensed sites cannot be accessed from the country. However, there are some online lotto sites in Malaysia that you can access!

Online bingo in Malaysia

Considering the directives of the current gambling legislation and the lack of specific Malaysian online bingo laws, online bingo in Malaysia is considered to be illegal. Consequently, as of February 2019, there are no specialized sites for online bingo in Malaysia. Bingo rooms, licensed elsewhere, cannot be accessed from the country.

Online sports betting in Malaysia

Online sportsbook sites in Malaysia are not legal either, while some forms of land-based betting have a long tradition in the country. The regulation of the betting sector in the country is also supervised by the Ministry of Finance. Any supplier of online betting opportunities on the Malaysian market must obtain a proper license. Toto is one of the games which are licensed under the Ministry of Finance and is highly popular among the locals. Foreign internet sportsbook sites are actively being blocked by the authorities.

Online daily fantasy sports in Malaysia

Online DFS sites in Malaysia do not have a legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the illegality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would not receive soon a legal status in Malaysia.