‘Online gambling loopholes need to be shut’

MEASURES are needed to plug online gambling loopholes that have enabled operators to avoid action by authorities, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman.

For instance, there is currently no effective way to block online gambling servers or to deal with some 700,000 dubious prepaid mobile phone accounts, which could be used by gambling syndicates.

“Online gambling computer servers are located abroad and are identified by their Internet Protocol address (consisting of numbers) or IPs.

“When the police or the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) blocks an IP address, what the gambling operators do is to change the IP numbers,” he said when answering a question raised by Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) in Parliament yesterday.

Mohd Azis also told lawmakers that it was difficult for authorities to crackdown on online gambling operating via mobile phones apps.

“It was previously mentioned by the Communications and Multimedia Minister that there are some 700,000 dubious prepaid mobile phone accounts.

“This makes it hard for authori- ties to gather information as the gambling operators are operating underground,” he said.

He added that it was also difficult to prove online gambling when no physical transaction of money takes place.

“When they are caught, they say it’s just an online game as no money is involved,” he said.

He said the police are currently looking at ways to effectively deal with these problems.

Mohd Azis told lawmakers that police received 973 reports on illegal gambling activities since July this year.

He said 456 reports led to success- ful raids, 260 were baseless or false reports, while 253 merited further investigations.

In reply to another question, Mohd Azis said the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) should clarify the status of their investigations of high-ranking police officers implicated in protecting gambling syndicates in Melaka.

In May last year, 12 suspects, who included senior police officers, were arrested by the MACC under Ops Gopi.

They were alleged to have given protection to illegal gambling dens and massage parlours in the state.