Malaysia Online Gambling Law Tracker 2026: Is the New Bill Law Yet?

Tracking Malaysia’s planned anti-online gambling law: what has been announced, what has not happened yet, and how current law is enforced.

Gambling News

by Authorityslot Team

October 24, 2026 0

EDITOR NOTE – delete before publishing: this is a tracker – please re-check status before publishing and on every update. Check (1) February 2026 announcement and quotes – https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/02/15/new-law-being-drafted-to-curb-online-gambling and https://igamingbusiness.com/gaming/malaysia-deputy-prime-minister-draft-bill-illegal-igaming/; (2) not tabled in the 19 January–3 March 2026 sitting, next sitting from 22 June 2026, 5,000+ sites blocked 2022–early 2025 – https://brightsideofnews.com/gambling/regulation/southeast-asia-online-gambling-laws-2026/; (3) July 2026 ministry figures and Online Safety Act 2025 (Act 866) reference – https://mediaselangor.com/en/2026/07/384747; (4) October 2026 report – https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2026/10/07/malaysias-73-year-old-gambling-law-is-being-used-to-prosecute-smartphone-users-enforcement-says-it-is-not-working/. We searched for news of the bill being tabled or passed between June and October 2026 and found none.

Quick answer: As of 24 October 2026, we found no report that Malaysia’s planned anti-online gambling law has been tabled or passed. Online gambling remains prohibited under the Betting Act 1953 and the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, and Malaysia has no online casino licensing system. The planned law focuses on enforcement, not legalisation.

Current status

Question	Status (24 October 2026)
Is online gambling legal in Malaysia?	No
Is there an online casino licence in Malaysia?	No
Has the new anti-online gambling bill been tabled?	No report found
Has it been passed?	No
Would it legalise online gambling?	Reported drafts focus on enforcement, with no licensing provision

Timeline

January 2026: Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told the Dewan Rakyat that police had proposed reviewing existing laws to deal with online gambling.
15 February 2026: Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof said a law to curb online gambling was being drafted, warning that illegal gambling “can affect social wellbeing, especially among our younger generation”. It was still under review whether this would be a new Act or amendments to laws such as the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
19 January – 3 March 2026 sitting: the bill was not tabled.
22 June 2026: the next Dewan Rakyat sitting opened; we found no report that the bill was tabled.
16 July 2026: in a written parliamentary reply, the Communications Ministry said about 457,562 online gambling items were removed and 1,778 gambling websites blocked between January 2025 and May 2026, citing the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Online Safety Act 2025 (Act 866).
October 2026: a former Sarawak police commissioner was reported as urging updates to the 1953 law, saying it is “no longer adequate” against online gambling.

How the law is enforced today

Gambling generally falls under police jurisdiction under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953. MCMC works with internet providers to block gambling sites and remove gambling content: more than 5,000 sites were blocked between 2022 and early 2025. Police proposals have included amending the Common Gaming Houses Act and adding online gambling offences to a proposed cybercrime law.

What the new law could change

Based on what ministers have said, the new law would strengthen police and agency powers against illegal operators, including online operations. Police have also asked for rules that deal with social media marketing and e-wallets. None of this has been enacted yet, and we will update this page when it is.

Malaysia gambling law FAQ

Is online gambling legal in Malaysia in 2026?

No. It is prohibited under the Betting Act 1953 and the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.

Will Malaysia legalise online casinos?

There is no sign of that. The planned law is about enforcement, not licensing.

When will the new online gambling law be passed?

No date has been announced. We will update this tracker when it is tabled.

For the wider picture, see our online casino Malaysia legal guide.

Getting help

If you think you have been scammed: in Malaysia, call the National Scam Response Centre on 997 (24 hours) as soon as possible, contact your bank and make a police report. In Singapore, call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799 (24/7) if you are unsure whether something is a scam, and report to the police through the SPF eServices portal, or call 999 if it is urgent.

If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline (Singapore) on 1800 666 8668 (daily, 8am–11pm).

Related guides

Sources

AuthoritySlot does not link to, promote or earn from any gambling operator. This page is general information, not legal advice. Last checked: 24 October 2026.