Malaysia's Communications Ministry said service providers took down 457,562 items of online gambling-related content between Jan 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026, in a written parliamentary reply published on the Parliament website on July 16, 20261. The ministry said the figure represented 98 percent of the 467,772 takedown requests submitted after proactive monitoring by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and formal requests from enforcement agencies1.
The reply answered a question from Datuk Dr Richard Rapu (GPS-Betong) on the number of gambling advertisement portals blocked and arrests involving online gambling operators1. The ministry said:
"During the same period, 1,778 gambling websites were also blocked by internet service providers at the request of the MCMC,"
The ministry said matters relating to gambling activities generally fall under the jurisdiction of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, while the MCMC supports enforcement by providing investigative assistance and blocking websites under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Online Safety Act 2025 (Act 866)1.
In a separate written reply to Prabakaran M Parameswaran (PH-Batu), the ministry said the MCMC submitted 275,787 requests to remove scam-related content between Jan 1, 2022 and June 30, 2026, covering fake accounts and impersonation. Of those, 262,293 posts, or 95 percent, were taken down by service providers based on complaints and applicable local laws1. For financial fraud under the Online Safety Act 2025, five takedown requests were submitted between Jan 1 and June 30, 2026, all of which were acted upon1.
| Measure | Period | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Online gambling content removed | Jan 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026 | 457,562 (98 percent of 467,772 requests) |
| Gambling websites blocked by ISPs | Same period | 1,778 |
| Scam content removal requests | Jan 1, 2022 to June 30, 2026 | 275,787 |
| Scam posts removed | Same period | 262,293 (95 percent) |
| Financial fraud takedown requests under Act 866 | Jan 1 to June 30, 2026 | 5 |
The ministry also cited the National Scam Response Centre and the Safe Internet Campaign, which it said has reached 10,303 schools and institutions of higher learning nationwide1. The reply did not give arrest figures, which the original question asked about; no arrest numbers for online gambling operators appear in the reply as reported1.
What it means for players
Malaysia's approach separates the two things a player encounters: the content that advertises or links to gambling, and the websites themselves. The takedown figures cover the first category, including ads and posts, while the 1,778 blocked sites cover the second1. For anyone in Malaysia, that means gambling promotions and access routes are being removed at volume, but the ministry's reply does not say which sites were blocked, how blocking is enforced against circumvention tools, or whether any player was prosecuted. Gambling activity itself remains a matter for the Royal Malaysia Police under the Common Gaming Houses Act 19531. Our guide to gambling in Malaysia sets out the legal position, and online gambling scams in Malaysia covers how fraudulent operators present themselves. Players who cannot withdraw from a site can read what to do when an online gambling site won't pay out.
What happens next
The reply gives no timetable for further action and no target figures. The ministry said the whole-of-government approach continues through the National Scam Response Centre and the Safe Internet Campaign1. No date has been reported for the next set of figures.
