Licences are being abused, say cops

Penang police urge local authorities to stop issuing new entertainment licences

BALIK PULAU: Although the number of online gambling premises is down, the Penang police hope that the local authorities would stop issuing new entertainment licences to put an end to the menace.

Penang deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Roslee Chik said online gambling had mushroomed as the local authorities continue issuing licences to premises and shoplots, including those near housing areas, with some operating 24 hours.

“We have always advised the local authorities to issue family entertainment licences instead to malls as a way of curbing online gambling as these activities will stop when the malls close for the day,” he said after meeting district OCPDs at Botanica Mansion here yesterday.

If the local authorities continued to do this, it would be the police that would be tasked with carrying out enforcement against the illegal activities, said DCP Roslee.

He said Penang was now free from such gambling dens due to continuous police action in closing down online gambling premises over the past few years.

“However, the police are unable to take action against individuals involved in online gambling that uses personal electronic gadgets,” he said.

He said many of the entertainment licences were abused with some manipulating the approvals and modifying the machines to run online gambling,

“We also have cases of people cloning the licences, thus opening the floodgates to hundreds of illegal entertainment outlets,” he said.

DCP Roslee said many online gambling addicts would sit in the premises for up to 24 hours without going home.

“Many of them are unemployed. Such activities lead to other social ills, as gambling addicts can easily turn to crime or loan sharks to fuel their gambling habit,” he said.

DCP Roslee said there were 224 family entertainment licences issued since 2017 but these were not renewed this year.

Police arrested 272 people for online gambling activities between January and July last year, but only 80 were arrested during the same period this year.

A total of 1,270 gambling machines were seized in 2017 and 91 machines during the same period this year.

Earlier, DCP Roslee received pledges from all five district OCPDs that their districts would be free from online gambling.

He encouraged the public to contact the police if they came across such activities.

The hotline numbers are 04-222 1722 / 04-222 1610 or WhatsApp to 018-971 4808.

We also have cases of people cloning the licences, thus opening the floodgates to hundreds of illegal entertainment outlets. DCP Datuk Roslee Chik