The Latest Laws And Guidance On Gambling In Malaysia In 2025

Learn about Malaysia's 2025 gambling regulations. Discover legal gaming opportunities, iGaming growth, and expected changes in legislation.

For a long time, there has been an intriguing and complex air around the topic of gambling in Malaysia. However, the popularity of the activity is undeniable, even with the many legal restrictions. Malaysia is a diverse nation, both culturally and ethnically, with many values sometimes contradicting themselves, and leading to a legal landscape that can be a little confusing. That’s why for what’s now more than two decades we have had a very uneven situation with legal regulation of gambling.

Here we will try to give a better overview and explanation on the 2025 state of gambling laws in the country.

Permitted Gambling Activities

It’s a very common misconception that all gambling is banned in Malaysia. There are quite a few ways for people to enjoy these activities, although there are certain strict regulations that provide some restrictions.

Online gambling is one easy way for fans of the iGaming scene to enjoy their favorite pastime in Malaysia. Gambling fans looking for more diverse games can enjoy the best casinos online with reputable licences and exciting bonuses. Using a curated list of great casinos like this is the best and safest way to gamble online if you are living or vacationing in Malaysia.

Casino gambling is, on the other hand, not a big thing in Malaysia. Still, there is one legal casino – Resorts World Genting – which is famous countrywide and a major landmark for tourists interested in gambling while on their holidays.

Horse racing is the only allowed variant of sports betting, and this is only legal on certain race courses during certain events. This is popular but heavily regulated and limited to the venues where races are being held.

Licensed lotteries are run and regulated by the state. There are a few licensed operators, Sports Toto and Magnum being some of the biggest ones. They provide the state with a revenue that’s far from insignificant.

Overview of Gambling Laws in Malaysia

As we previously mentioned, the legal landscape in regard to gambling in Malaysia is very strict. These are the current laws that serve to provide a balance of cultural sensitivities with economic considerations:

Betting Act 1953: Legal act that prohibits public betting and gambling houses. Imposes strict sanctions for participation and organisation of illegal gambling.

Common Gaming Houses Act 1953: Outlaws the operation of gambling houses. Imposes strict penalties for operating and participating.

Lotteries Act 1952: Regulates lotteries, allowing operators with licences to run them if complying with a strict set of rules.

Under Islamic law, gambling is not allowed for Muslims. This strict exclusion is what’s at the root of these legal prohibitions due to a vast majority of the Muslim demographic in Malaysia. There are several agencies for enforcement of these rules that are constantly on the lookout for violations and fraud. These enforcement agencies are crucial in the suppression of illegal gambling.

Regulatory Challenges and the Rise of iGaming

The growing online gambling scene has provided a set of major challenges to the legal system in Malaysia. iGaming web platforms are growing more and more popular every year, so the existing set of laws (most of them issued more than 20 years ago) is not up to par with the current global situation. With inadequate legal regulation, many illegal gambling operations have been poking around the loopholes, which has led to frequent crackdowns by the law enforcers.

Citizens not bound by the religious rules can find online casinos to be an enticing option, but without proper legal boundaries, there are also many risks in place. These (and other) challenges have pushed the government to rethink and update old Malaysian gambling laws to work towards a better, more comprehensive framework for the future.

What Comes Next

While nothing is yet set in stone, we can expect certain changes and hope for reforms in this field coming to Malaysia very soon. The Ministry of Finance has recently reviewed the legal gaps and announced that they are looking to establish a clear set of regulations for online gambling operators and players. This will come hand in hand with stronger enforcement against illegal and gray-area gambling sites. As a consequence, this should also offer some options to generate more revenue for the state through taxes and full legalization.

Until such time, gamblers in Malaysia are recommended to keep their activities limited to licensed operators, understand the legal boundaries so as to not overstep them, and be both mindful of risks and respectful of local customs and regulations.