The history of gambling in Malaysia is a complex and fascinating one, shaped by a confluence of cultural, religious, and economic factors. While Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, Islam is the official religion enshrined in the constitution. It recognizes Islam as the religion of the Federation, but it also guarantees freedom of religion for its citizens.
However, since the constitution recognizes Islam as the official religion, gambling in this land of diversity can be a pickle since, in Islamic law, gambling is generally considered haram (forbidden). Nonetheless, the gambling history in Malaysia is quite rich, owing to the fact that it also houses non-muslims, and this history is broken down into the early days and the present times, at the same time keeping an eye out for what the future might hold.
Early Days
In the early days, sometime in the 19th century, gambling was believed to have been introduced to Malaysia by Chinese merchants, bringing with them games like mahjong and dice games. This, and the introduction of horse racing by the British, which gained popularity and remains legal today with three racecourses still operational under the Racing Act 1961, birthed gaming and gambling in Malaysia. Besides these sports that were introduced to the Malaysian public, some traditional sports like main judi (gambling with tops) and sepak takraw (kick volleyball) also existed, although they only surfaced during festivals and celebrations.
Sometime between 1953 and 1960, the Betting Act and Common Gaming Houses Act were enacted, outlawing most forms of gambling except for licensed activities, which then saw the rise of Genting Highlands Resort, housing the only legal casino in Malaysia, Casino de Genting, with Muslims prohibited from and choosing to stay out to avoid a show of force like the Malaysian authorities did when they destroyed about a thousand crypto mining devices.
Present Day Malaysia
The story of gambling in present-day Malaysia is incomplete without the mention of the Genting Highlands Resort, the brainchild of Malaysian businessman Lim Goh Tong. Hoping to escape Kuala Lumpur’s heat and inspired by Cameron Highlands, he envisioned a hill resort closer to the city.
Construction began in 1965 on Mount Ulu Kali, facing numerous challenges due to the mountainous terrain and lack of infrastructure. The team persevered, building a road and the resort's first phase before it later opened in 1969, featuring the Highlands Hotel (now Theme Park Hotel) and basic amenities. 1971 was a crucial year as this was when Malaysia granted Genting Highlands a casino license, forever changing its trajectory.
It is crucial to mention again that the resort houses the only casino in the country. People who can not journey there nor have the resources to enjoy their gaming there are often left with little to no choice but to seek offshore gambling options and pitch their tents with any service provider that’s able to convince them of being the most trusted online casino.
The development of the Genting Highlands did not stop there; the 1970s and 80s saw significant expansion, with the addition of iconic hotels like Genting Grand (1981), Awana (1984), and Resort Hotel (1992). Theme park offerings like Highlands Hotel Theme Park (1977) and Genting Skyway (1997) further diversified the resort's appeal.
Nothing could have served as icing on the cake better than in 2001, when the First World Hotel cemented Genting Highlands as a major tourist destination by being the Guinness world record holder with the most rooms at the time with 6118 rooms before being usurped by the Venetian Hotel Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, which held the record from 2008 to 2015 before the First World Hotel reclaimed its crown, which it still holds to this day after adding Tower 2A, bringing its total room count to 7,351.
Beyond the illustrious backstory and Guinness records, Genting Highlands is a gambling mecca for all who dare to visit.
First is the Casino de Genting, the larger and more well-known of the two casinos available on-site and located at Sky Avenue Mall with over 3,000 slot machines offering a variety of themes and denominations, around 400 electronic table games, including blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker variations, classic table games like roulette, blackjack, and baccarat conducted by live dealers, private VIP gaming rooms for high rollers and a loyalty program offering rewards and benefits for frequent players.
The other is the Genting Casino, which is situated within the Genting Grand Hotel and caters to a more traditional and luxurious casino experience. It has over 800 slot machines featuring classic and modern themes, a variety of table games, including roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and poker variations, Private VIP gaming rooms for high rollers, and a cozy, personalized atmosphere compared to Casino de Genting.
What the future holds
The future of gambling in Malaysia is still very much unknown, to say the least, as debates continue regarding the potential legalization of certain forms of gambling with the possibility of being eased by technological advancements, which by themselves might pose new challenges for regulations and enforcement.