Malaysia's Ministry of Finance said the MADANI government, on taking over the federal administration in late 2022, canceled a planned increase in special draw frequency and reduced it from 22 to eight times a year starting January 20231. The ministry set out the position in a statement on 27 August 2026, issued in response to remarks by Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor about gambling in the state, which the ministry called misleading1.
The statement traced the draw schedule through three administrations. It said the Pakatan Harapan federal government decided in 2020 to cut special draws from 22 to eight a year, that the Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional governments in 2020 then decided to raise or restore the frequency to 22 times a year, and that the MADANI government reversed that increase from January 20231.
"Selepas Kerajaan MADANI mengambil alih pentadbiran Persekutuan pada akhir 2022, keputusan terawal waktu itu adalah untuk membatalkan peningkatan tersebut dan menurunkan semula kekerapan cabutan khas daripada 22 kepada lapan kali setahun mulai Januari 2023"
On licensing, the ministry said the MADANI government has never issued any new gambling license or permit and has not added new gambling premises, with the number of valid licenses and permits unchanged from approvals granted since the 1990s1. It said the ministry has set strict conditions on license holders1. It also said that during the 2020 to 2022 federal administration, which included PAS, there was never any proposal or decision to ban licensed gambling nationwide or abolish existing licenses1.
The statement said the government is limiting licensed gambling, maintaining strict regulation and stepping up action against unlicensed and online gambling1.
Separately, the ministry noted that on 12 August the Federal Court refused the Kedah state government leave to appeal a decision that struck down its halt on issuing and renewing business licenses for forecast number betting operators in the state2. A three-judge panel chaired by Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang, with Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah and Datuk Azmi Ariffin, ordered the state government to pay RM50,000 in costs2. Rhodzariah ruled the state government failed to meet the threshold under Section 96(a) of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 for leave to be granted2.
What it means for players
The number of special draws a year is a federal decision, and the ministry's account puts the current figure at eight, down from 22, since January 20231. Players in Malaysia see that in how often special draw dates appear on the calendar rather than in the ordinary draw schedule.
The ministry says no new gambling licenses or permits have been issued and no new gambling premises added under the MADANI government, so the pool of licensed operators and outlets is unchanged from approvals dating to the 1990s1. For anyone who plays through licensed channels, that means the same set of licensed operators as before, under what the ministry describes as strict conditions on license holders1. The ministry also says enforcement against unlicensed and online gambling is being stepped up1, which concerns operators and players outside the licensed system. How Malaysia's state and licensed lotteries work, including who may play, is set out in our guide to lotteries in Asia, and the country's rules for locals, expats and visitors are covered in Can I gamble in Malaysia?.
What happens next
The statement gives no further dated steps on draw frequency or licensing. The Federal Court's 12 August refusal of leave to Kedah ends that appeal attempt, and the state government was ordered to pay RM50,000 in costs2. No further court dates or policy announcements are reported in the ministry's statement1.
