Feb 23, 2026 | 8:21 am
Malaysian authorities have intensified action against illegal online gambling, with service providers removing 457,562 pieces of gambling-related digital content between January 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.
The removals followed 467,772 takedown requests submitted after proactive monitoring by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and formal referrals from enforcement agencies. According to figures disclosed in Parliament, service providers acted on approximately 98% of those requests.
Authorities also targeted access to gambling websites during the same period. Internet service providers blocked 1,778 sites following requests from the MCMC, adding website restrictions to the government’s wider effort to limit the digital reach of illegal gambling activity.
The figures came in a written parliamentary response to Datuk Dr Richard Rapu, the MP for Betong, who had asked about the number of gambling advertising portals blocked and arrests connected with online gambling operators.
"During the same period, 1,778 gambling websites were also blocked by internet service providers at the request of the MCMC," the ministry said.
MCMC Supports Wider Gambling Enforcement Efforts
The Communications Ministry clarified that gambling offences generally remain under police jurisdiction through the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
At the same time, the MCMC provides support in cases involving digital channels. Its role includes investigative assistance and the implementation of website blocking measures under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Online Safety Act 2025, also known as Act 866.
The volume of removed content shows the scale of enforcement activity aimed at gambling promotions, advertisements and other online material linked to the sector.
Service providers removed nearly all of the content identified through the 467,772 requests submitted during the reporting period. The 457,562 successful removals represented a large increase in the amount of material subjected to coordinated action involving the communications regulator, enforcement bodies and online platforms.
The website-blocking figures also illustrate a separate enforcement mechanism. While takedown requests focus on individual pieces of content hosted or distributed through online services, blocking measures restrict access to entire gambling websites after requests from the MCMC.
Scam-Related Content Also Faces Extensive Takedowns
The ministry’s parliamentary responses also provided figures on enforcement against online scams.
In a separate reply to Batu MP Prabakaran M Parameswaran, the ministry said the MCMC submitted 275,787 requests for the removal of scam-related content between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2026.
Those requests covered fraudulent online material as well as fake accounts and impersonation activity. Service providers removed 262,293 items, equal to approximately 95% of the total requests filed under applicable local laws and complaint procedures.
The Online Safety Act 2025 has also been used in cases involving financial scams. Between January 1 and June 30, 2026, the MCMC submitted five content takedown requests related specifically to financial fraud under Act 866. Service providers acted on all five requests.
These figures place gambling-related enforcement within a broader government effort focused on harmful and illegal online activity. The MCMC has taken part in both content-removal processes and website restrictions while working alongside other enforcement agencies.
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Public Awareness Campaign Reaches Thousands of Institutions
Malaysia has also continued preventive efforts aimed at educating the public about online crime and scams.
The Communications Ministry pointed to coordination through the National Scam Response Centre as part of the government’s response to financial fraud. It also highlighted the Safe Internet Campaign, which has reached 10,303 schools and higher education institutions across Malaysia.
The campaign operates alongside enforcement measures that rely heavily on cooperation between authorities, internet service providers and online platforms.
The latest parliamentary figures show that digital takedowns have become a major component of Malaysia’s response to illegal gambling activity. With 457,562 gambling-related items removed and 1,778 websites blocked between January 2025 and the end of May 2026, authorities have applied both content-level removals and broader access restrictions.
At the same time, the removal of more than 262,000 scam-related items since January 2022 demonstrates that the country’s online enforcement measures extend beyond gambling. The government continues to combine regulatory powers, platform cooperation and public awareness programs as illegal gambling operators and scammers make greater use of digital channels.
Source:
Over 450,000 online gambling posts removed, 1,778 websites blocked since January 2025, thestar.com, July 16, 2026