Online gambling is a slippery slope that has ruined many lives due to its easy accessibility on mobile devices. – Photo by Desiree David
KUCHING (May 19): A 28-year-old man was fined RM10,000, in default six months’ imprisonment, by the Magistrates’ Court here today for dealing with a gaming machine, namely a mobile phone, used for online gambling activities.
Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan imposed the sentence on Tiruparen K. Perumal after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 4B(a) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
The section provides for a fine of not less than RM10,000 and not more than RM100,000 for each gaming machine seized, and a jail term not exceeding five years, upon conviction.
The offence took place at a café in Kota Sentosa, 7th Mile, at around 3.10pm on Oct 27, 2021.
According to the facts of the case, the accused was arrested during a police raid carried out based on information received regarding online gambling activities.
He was found holding a mobile phone during the raid and was suspected to be an agent for online gambling credit top-ups.
Examination of the phone revealed a website suspected to be used for gambling credit transactions.
Following analysis by a gambling expert, the mobile phone was determined to be a device used to manage and facilitate online gambling activities, and therefore constituted a gaming machine as defined under Section 2 of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
The accused was represented by counsel Russell Lim.