Perlis Becomes the Fourth Malaysian State to Phase Out Gambling

MALAYSIA (March 7, 2024) — The closure of Perlis’ last lottery outlet on March 6 marked the state as the fourth in Malaysia to phase out gambling. The Da Ma Cai outlet, situated in Padang Besar near the Thailand border, had its operating license expire on that day. Perlis had six lottery outlets initially, but they were closed between July and October 2023 after the state government decided not to renew operating licenses for such establishments.

Fakhrul Anwar Ismail, the Perlis exco member in charge of housing and local government, emphasized the state government’s focus on social harmony and public interest over economic losses. He mentioned that the closure would result in an annual revenue sacrifice of RM2,544 (S$720) from operating licenses.

Perlis follows the lead of three other states under the administration of the Islamist Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS): Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah. Kedah had closed all 45 gaming outlets in January 2023, while Kelantan and Terengganu had imposed bans in 1990 and 2020, respectively.

On the final day of operation, punters flocked to the Da Ma Cai outlet, even though they had to travel to the branch in Penang, 190km to the south, to collect their winnings. Despite the closure, concerns were raised about the potential rise of illegal gaming and underground betting activities, as reported by The Star in July 2023.

SOURCE: LI Staff (sourced from Online Media Outlets).