Malaysian court fines man for online gambling

The man’s phone was seized by police in 2021.

Malaysia.- The Magistrates’ Court in Kuching has ruled that a 28-year-old Malaysian man must pay a RM10,000 (€2,070) fine or face six months’ imprisonment for using a mobile for online gaming. Tiruparen K. Perumal was apprehended on October 26, 2021, at a café in Kota, Sentosa, 7th Mile, after police received a tipoff.

Upon examining his phone, authorities found a website believed to be linked to gambling credit transactions. A forensic examination confirmed online betting activities. As such, the device was classified as a gaming machine under Section 2 of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953

Represented by lawyer Russell Lim, Perumal pleaded guilty under Section 4B(a) of the act, which lists penalities of a fine between RM10,000 and RM100,000 for each confiscated gaming machine and a jail term of up to five years.

While Malaysia has lotteries, horse racing and land-based casinos, it prohibits online gambling and sports betting.