Malaysia is predominantly a Muslim country. This means that almost all forms of gambling, whether online or offline, are illegal under Islam law. The country has three frameworks in place to dictate the gambling laws within Malaysia, with the biggest being the Betting Act 1953. There is also a civil contract law, which declares all agreements made in the shape of gambling are null and void. Through this, any person losing a bet to someone else could refuse to pay up and there is no legal recourse for the winner.

Within the Betting Act 1953, all forms of gambling, including online casino games, are outlawed. Even telecommunications and other means of transmitting bets are addressed within the act. That’s despite it being written in the 1950s. It also specifies that up to MYR 200,000 and five years in jail can be handed out to anyone caught operating a betting shop. Yet this does apply to those casinos, betting houses and so on, that are based within Malaysia.