Despite its popularity, gambling is generally still heavily restricted in Malaysia. Only certain types of gambling such as lotteries, casino games, horse racing are legal, while all forms of sports betting or online gambling are not permitted. Because of such strict regulations, only one land-based casino is legal in Malaysia, with no locally operated online casinos.
Understanding the difficulty, we have researched and compiled the best online casinos for Malays. You will be able to play all the hottest slots in Malaysia, as well as redeem the most attractive bonuses and promotions. Start reading!
Gambling in Malaysia - Things to Know
In this article, we would like to explain clearly the three laws relating to gambling. If you are interested in online gambling in Malaysia, understanding these laws is a must.
Betting Act 1953
The Betting Act 1953 is the primary law that regulates the whole scene of gambling in Malaysia. For offshore gambling, the Act states quite clear about telecommunications, and other means of transmitting bets between customers and betting houses are banned. The law has been amended in 1958, 1959, 1961, 1989, 1992 (twice), and 2006.
The Act is covered in twenty pages and is written clearly in English. Therefore, for any Malaysian, understanding the Act is not a problem. If a person gets caught red-handed, they will either be fined with an amount not exceeding five thousand ringgit, imprisoned for a maximum of six months, or both. The laws are even stricter for owning, establishing an online casino, or its future evolution in the gambling industry.
Below are some subtracts of the Act which you can find:
Offenses relating to typical betting houses and betting information centers:
(1) Any person who—(a)being the owner or occupier, or having the use temporarily or otherwise, thereof, keeps or uses a place as a typical betting house or betting information center; or
(b)permits a site of which he is the owner or occupier, or of which he has the use temporarily or otherwise, to be kept or used as a typical betting house or betting information center; or
(c)has the care or management of, or in any manner assists in the government or in the business of, a place kept or used as a typical betting house or betting information center; or
*NOTE—The Telecommunications Act 1950 [Act 20] has since been repealed by the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 [Act 588]–see s. 273 of Act 588.8
(d)receives directly, or indirectly, any money or valuable thing, for or in respect of any bet or wager on any such event or contingency as is mentioned in this Act, in a typical betting house or betting information center; or
(e)announces, exhibits or publishes, or causes to be announced, exhibited or published, either orally or employing any letter, circular, telegram, placard, handbill, card, print, writing, design, sign, advertisement or otherwise, that a place is opened, kept or used as a typical betting house or betting information center within or without Malaysia or any other manner invites or solicits any person to commit a breach of any provisions of this Act, shall be guilty of an offense and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than twenty thousand ringgit and not more than two hundred thousand ringgit and shall also be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.
(2) Any person who occupies or has the use temporarily of a place kept or used by another person as a common betting house or betting information center shall be presumed until the contrary is proved to have permitted such a place to be so kept or used.
Source: Betting Act 1953
The strict of the law only applied to those operating and owning betting operators. Therefore, Malaysia can still be able to gamble at trusted online casino sites.
Common Gaming Houses Act of 1953
Unlike the Betting Act 1953, Common Gaming Houses Act emphasizes casino games. Any Malaysian who gets caught engaging illegally in gambling will be fined up to 5,000 ringgits and up to six months in prison. The Act defines gambling as:
“…the playing of any game of chance or mixed chance and skill for money or money’s worth...”
Sharia Law
As a Muslim country, Sharia Law has been introduced and regulated by more than 60%. As Muslims, they are not allowed to bet at any game regardless of the size or the seriousness of the games. The law is strict because the holy book of Muslims states that Gambling activity is satan work, and people committed to the religion must stay away from gambling.
Shakira law is only applied to Muslims; other religions are not bound. Since many cultures living under one roof in Malaysia, there are still many debates among religious and non-religious matters.
How to Choose the Best Online Casinos in Malaysia
Choosing an online casino in a country with complicated regulations is challenging. However, things will be much easier if you let us do the hard work. The casinos that appear on our list all passed our tests with flying colors. All the reviews are unbiased and are written using actual information from our partners, combined with our authentic experience. To help you understand the process, we have explained clearly our steps below:
First, the casino should accept players from Malaysia and gain a foothold in the industry. Most of the time, you will need to sign up for an account before playing any real money casino game. In order to withdraw any winning, you need to submit proofs of identification to the casino. It means that unless the casino is legit and legal, your personal data may be at risk. Thus, you should not give away your information to any other sites besides our top online casinos.
Second, the best casinos are the ones that are well-regulated by trusted organizations. They will be the middle-man to protect you and your rights. Stay close with those casinos licensed from UKGC, Malta Gambling Authority, and so on.
Game selection is the next criteria. The perfect casinos should offer various Malaysia slots and live games. That's what we were aiming for: a diverse gaming library for all our beloved Malaysian readers. Feel free to play our demo version and read our casino reviews.
The last factor to be considered is the customer support service. It should meet all our three minimum requirements:
- Fast
- Reliable
- Available 24/7 and in various channels
Deposits and Withdrawals at Malaysia Casino Sites
Malaysia is a developed country; therefore, the number of e-wallets has upsurged in the industry. This has allowed the online casino operators to ease the issue with bank cards and has prioritized e-wallet to be the main method in this country.
The most widely used e-wallets are Skrill and Neteller, with many advantages such as fast, reliable, secure, and anonymous. They do not reveal your information, and there is no tricky verification process. If you do not mind the time-consuming process of Visa and MasterCard, you can use them as they offer the highest level of security. Some new casinos also offer payment via popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Etherium, so take advantage of this.
On a side note, we recommend reading the terms and conditions relating to the promotions or general withdrawal policies to ensure no mistake is made. Better safe than sorry!
