Legitimate NFOs such as Damacai, Magnum and Sports Toto are not only regulated by law but also contribute to the government in the form of gambling tax.
MANY punters place their bets with legitimate number forecast operators (NFOs) such as Magnum, Sports Toto and Damacai in peninsular Malaysia or Special Cashsweep, Sabah88 and Sandakan4D in Sabah and Sarawak – hoping to turn their financial luck around.
While these legitimate operators are holding the fort in this industry, there are many illegal 4D betting syndicates taking root in our society.
According to reports in The Star, illegal 4D betting syndicates have encroached on the NFO market share as it has grown more sophisticated over the past decade, causing the government a significant loss in gambling tax collection since they do not pay taxes like NFOs do.
Illegal 4D operations are known to be 1.5 to two times larger than the legitimate NFOs and could contribute to the government losing up to RM3bil annually.
For punters, on the other hand, participating in illegal gambling can get them in trouble with the law. The penalty for illegal gambling under the Common Gaming Houses Act is a fine of up to RM5,000, up to six months jail, or both.
These illegal 4D operations encourage punters to keep on placing bets with credit extensions, further nursing their gambling habit.
This in turn has led to a call for stricter laws to inhibit illicit gambling.
There are major legal frameworks that govern gambling laws in Malaysia: the Betting Act 1953 and the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
However, with illegal 4D operators taking up space on the online gambling sphere where legitimate NFOs do not, updated laws could be vital.
The Sun reported that legal NFOs not only have a fixed amount of outlets they can operate from but also are limited to 4D lottery draws thrice a week. Meanwhile, illegal operators have captured a large market share especially during the movement control order where they were operating 24/7.
The reports also stated that a 4D game called the Golden Dragon Lotto (GDL) operates out of a casino in Cambodia and has draws every day with daily results posted online.
According to an article on The New Sarawak Tribune, the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 could be revised to keep up with the times and to regulate online gambling to not only cover online gambling – legal or illegal – but also to include those with no permission to operate locally.
Reference:
1. Illegal 4D betting a growing menace
2. Current gambling laws lack bite
3. Gambling in Malaysia: an overview
4. Call for stricter law to curb illicit gambling
5. RM2bil loss from online gambling
6. Call to revise Common Gaming Houses Act 1953
7. Illegal 4D rings making money hand over fist
8. Gains of illegal betting syndicates dwarfs revenue of licensed firms by over 60%
