The Malaysian Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng, has declared that punishments for those who gamble and those who run gambling businesses will be made more severe as part of the nation’s 2020 financial plan.
The financial plan, which was revealed on Friday (October 11), also states that the number of four-digit lottery draws run by Number Forecast Operators (NFO) will be cut down from 11 times a year to 8 times.
Under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, the highest possible penalty for unlawful gambling will be increased by a factor of 20 from 5,000 Malaysian Ringgit (£943/$1,084/€1,193) to 100,000 Ringgit. Moreover, the previous shortest possible jail term for gambling, which was previously nonexistent, will now be at least 6 months.
The highest possible penalty for running unlawful gambling was previously 50,000 Ringgit, but the new financial plan doesn’t mention the highest possible penalty. For unlawful gambling operators, the lowest possible penalty has been increased to 1 million Ringgit, replacing the previous lowest possible penalty of 5,000 Ringgit.
Apart from the NFO four-digit game, all forms of gambling are prohibited for Malaysian citizens, although the country permits foreigners to gamble at the Genting Highlands resort.
Law enforcement officers in Malaysia have apprehended 247 individuals associated with illicit online gambling ventures aimed at Chinese citizens, officials revealed. These operations, they stated, generated a monthly revenue of 24.8 million ringgit (equivalent to 4.8 million pounds, 5.4 million euros, or 5.9 million dollars). The crackdown occurred between September 25th and October 3rd, resulting in the seizure of assets valued at 3.12 billion ringgit during raids.
Authorities across Southeast Asia have been intensifying their efforts to curb online gambling targeting China, with similar actions taken in Cambodia and the Philippines.
The financial plan did not outline any modifications to the maximum penalty for individuals participating in online gambling, which remains at six months. The maximum sentence for illegal operators is three years.
The budget is anticipated to be approved by Parliament and enacted without any obstacles, as the nation’s budget is viewed as a matter of confidence.
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