Online Casino Malaysia: A Detailed Guide
Malaysia is a country that is new to the world of online casinos. Even in today’s world, there is still some taboo around the world of gambling. After all, Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, so not every gambling option will be available to you. But, there are still some online casino Malaysia options available out there.
In this review, we will cover everything to do with online casinos and Malaysia. We will cover all major gambling laws in the state, as well as all the online casinos that are available to you in Malaysia. We will also touch on what makes a great online casino Malaysia platform, and the factors we consider when reviewing these casinos. Let’s get right into it!
The Best Online Casino Malaysia
We have reviewed some of the best online casino Malaysia platforms that have popped up in recent years, and there are some solid options available. However, we narrowed our list and here are the best Malaysian online casinos.
- Minimum $10 deposit
- 35x wagering requirement
- Multiple other deposit bonuses
- Minimum €20 deposit
- 30x wagering
- Minimum €20 deposit
- Available across 5 deposits
- Free spins spread across 10 days
- Welcome bonus: 200% up to $2000
- 35x wagering
- Valid for 30 days
- 100% deposit match up to €2,000
- 40x wagering
- Regular promos
Gambling Laws in Malaysia
Gambling in Malaysia is still heavily regulated compared to many of its Asian counterparts. There are some forms of gambling that are still considered illegal in Malaysia, in fact. The only sports that are considered ‘legal’ under Malaysian law is betting on horse racing; lotteries and casino games are all considered legal. All other forms of sports betting and casino betting are completely illegal, and there’s a few different laws that regulate all betting in the entire country.
The Betting Act 1953 is the most essential of these. This Act bans forms of betting, unless the organisation has a legal license to both operate, and cover ‘telecommunications’ between the company and the player on a financial basis. The Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 elaborates on this with the specifics of what games/sports you can bet or bet on. This Act defines any kind of gaming as ‘the playing of any game of chance or of mixed chance and skill for money or money’s worth’. Of course, over the decades these acts have been amended and various laws have been lifted, especially with the advent of online betting, to facilitate more modern forms of online casino Malaysia wagering.
The final act that Malaysia adhere to is Sharia Law. Malaysia being a predominant Islam country means that the majority of the population adhere to this religious law, which bans all forms of gambling. Non-Malays who are residents in the country (mostly Chinese and Indian) are not bound by Sharia Law, but just by the legal system and the two acts mentioned above.
Physical Casino
Land based casinos are permitted in Malaysia, but they are heavily scrutinised with the Acts we have mentioned above. There is currently only one live casino Malaysia site that you can bet on. This casino is privately owned and very much inspired by Las Vegas, and it denies entries to Muslims and to anyone under the age of 21. In the casino, you will find over 4,000 electronic table games, 3,000 slot machines and 30 tables with games such as blackjack, roulette and mahjong.
You will not find a sportsbook hub in this casino, or anywhere, as sports betting is completely illegal unless it is horse racing and under strict supervision from the government.
Online Casinos
Online casinos are a little more interesting, because technically by law, they are illegal. However, the legality is unclear, so that does allow for some loopholes to be looked into. The legal framework states that owning and operating an online gambling website that offers casino-like services is unlawful. This means that a gambling company cannot operate in Malaysia, but it does not outlaw a player gambling within Malaysia with international online casinos.
As a result, this offers a multitude of different online casino Malaysia platforms for a player to enjoy. As long as the platform is not based within Malaysia, you are in the clear legally.
Future Changes
The issue with gambling in Malaysia is that the religious responsibility often clashes with the legal system. As a result, they act as complete polar opposites to each other. While religious law, such as Sharia Law, acts completely strict, the legal system is a lot more loose and rigid in its language, leading to illegal and unlawful gambling. This kind of gambling undermines regulated and responsible gambling, which we aim to promote here on Slotsia.
With the advent of more and more players signing up to international online casinos, and the land based casino being such a huge business, we believe it is only a matter of time until more clear cut and safer regulation is put in play for all forms of gambling in Malaysia.
Casino Bonuses for Players in Malaysia
Just as players have access to huge online casino platforms, there are plenty of online casino Malaysia bonus offers to be found on these sites. There’s a wide range of different bonus offers to be claimed, with the likes of matched deposit bonuses, and cashback offers being some of the more popular options.
Deposit Bonuses
Deposit bonuses are the most popular type of bonus offer you’ll find on most online casino platforms in Malaysia. The reason for this seems to be the ease in which to use these bonuses, and how widespread they are available across various different top level casinos. In general, these will be in the form of a 100% deposit match or 200% deposit match, giving you a big account balance to begin your journey with.
Free Spins
Free spins offers can also commonly be found on many online casino Malaysia platforms. Most of these platforms will boast many popular online slot games, so it makes sense to offer free spins to their regular customers.
Free Spins are easy to come across for many Malaysia vertical casinos, so make sure to claim them when they pop up. – just keep the key terms and conditions, such as wagering, in mind.
No deposit bonuses
No deposit bonuses are not as common as the previous two, but you may still come across them with certain platforms. We believe the reason why there aren’t too many no deposit bonuses is because, for Malaysian players, they are not too valuable. There is a huge upside to a no deposit bonus, however, they are usually smaller amounts.
From our experience, Malay players seem more interested in getting as much value in quantity as they can, rather than smaller, and certain things. We’re sure that the more online casino Malaysia platforms pop up, that more online casino offers will come to fruition as well.
How We Review Online Casino Malaysia Websites
Anytime that we review an online casino, we have a checklist we make sure to tick off. Every online casino needs to meet every single item on that list, regardless of any mitigating factors. When it comes to online casino Malaysia platforms, we do not approach them any differently.
Here’s a full comprehensive list on how we would approach reviewing every online casino in front of us.
The BCU is actually a subgroup of the Ministry of Finance, meaning that they are directly linked to the Malay Government. This means that every online casino Malaysia platform is put through stringent regulations to make sure that they meet the current legal standard. To see if an online casino meets the BCU standards, just scroll to the bottom of the online casino page, and you’ll see the BCU emblem on the bottom banner.
There should be a solid range of table games, from poker to blackjack and baccarat, and from mahjong to roulette. The slot games should all be by trusted developers, such as NetEnt and Pragmatic Play, and offer different multipliers and free spins offers.
Variety also helps with this, as the more options there are, the more ways there are to play. Many great online casinos offer debit/credit card, eWallet payment methods, bank transfer and cryptocurrencies as their deposit and withdrawal methods. It is also a huge plus in our eyes if the online casino has reduced waiting times for withdrawals, and does not charge any fees on frequent transactions.
Popular Malaysia Casino Games
In Malaysia, it’s undeniable that casino games are popular in the country. You just have to take a look around the land based casino to see how valued some classic casino games are to the Malay gambling world. But, which games are the most valued?
Well, we talked about it briefly, but it’s the classics. The Las Vegas feel is a huge part of the Malaysian gambling world, even online casino Malaysia platforms. This includes the likes of slot games, blackjack, baccarat, roulette and poker. Unlike countries like Hong Kong and Japan, Malaysia does not have a rich history of gambling. Gambling is a relatively modern hobby to come to Malaysia, so they do have any traditional games or specific games that they have created themselves. Online casino Malaysia platforms appreciate the classics, and it shows with how much their players play it.
Slot Games
The most popular games you’ll find on any online or land based casino are slots games. There is a reason there are over 3000 slot games found in the land based casino in Malaysia. A slot game offers players vibrant themes, high rewards and multipliers, and the ultimate thrill of risk vs reward.
It is the ultimate symbol of the Vegas experience, so it comes as no surprise that slot games are the overwhelming majority for the most popular type of casino game in Malaysia. There is a certain timeless appeal to slot games, so we imagine their popularity will continue to course on through the years.
Blackjack
Blackjack has become such a phenomenon as a live game Malaysia choice, it has its own name and variant. Known as ‘Pontoon’ in Malaysia, the classic card game is a hugely popular choice among Malaysian players, and is by far the most popular table choice you’ll find on online casino platforms. Even on the land based casino, of the 6,000 electronic table choices, over half of them are electronic blackjack choices!
The strategic elements of the game seem to be the huge appeal, as well as the slight tinge of chance that is involved when drawing a card. It takes a lot of critical thinking and smart play to be a good Blackjack player, and that seems to suit the Malay gamblers down to a tee.
Roulette
We spoke before, about the huge number of electronic table games in the Malaysian casino – 4,800, to be exact. Well, a good 1,800 those are electronic roulette tables, and that does not even count your standard roulette tables with a dealer. The thrill of the spin, and a game purely built on chance, it seems the thrill of figuring out the roulette wheel has captivated many Malay players.
You can bet on even/odds, high/low or wager either three ways on the sets of numbers. Of course, you could try to risk it all and bet on a specific outcome, for high risk, high reward. However players decide to play, they keep on playing, and roulette will continue to be a popular option for players in Malaysia.
Online Casinos Malaysia Payments
Payments with an online casino are essential. It’s how your money travels in and out of your casino account, and you have to know that money is in safe hands. So, the deposit and withdrawal methods at your disposal need to be reliable.
In Malaysia, most popular payment methods will be available at your disposal. Even payment methods like eWallets and cryptocurrencies are fully legal and available in Malaysia, meaning you will be spoilt for choice!
Cryptocurrencies
As mentioned before, cryptocurrencies are fully legal in Malaysia. The Securities Commission have regulated many cryptocurrencies, which means the majority of crypto is tradeable and tenable for the Malaysian ringgit.
Some of the popular options that many live casino Malaysia platforms use include Bitcoin, Litecoin, Etherum, Tether, Tron and Dogecoin.
Digital Wallets
In the same vein as crypto, many international eWallets are also available in Malaysia, and usable on most international online casino Malaysia platforms.
With more than 50 eWallet options to choose from, some of the popular ones you’ll find on online casinos include: PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Trustly and Wise.
Traditional Methods
Of course, you can also use more traditional payment methods, such as debit/credit card, and bank transfer. Every safe and trustworthy online casino will have these payment methods available to you, and Malaysia have plenty of traditional methods at your disposal.
Some debit/credit cards include Wise Card, Mastercard and Visa. You also have the Malaysian home card, the RHB card, which is available for most international currencies and offers a cheap exchange rate for other currencies.
Tips for Choosing Casinos in Malaysia
When choosing an online casino in Malaysia, there are a few different aspects of the online casino you should keep your eyes out for. If you focus on these facets of the casino, we guarantee you’ll find yourself an online casino worth using.
VIP Schemes
Having a valuable loyalty program is a gamechanger, and any experienced player will immediately appreciate the difference it can make for you.
A VIP program will reward you with weekly/monthly bonuses, regular rakeback offers, real time awards and in some cases, your own VIP customer service assistant! Do not sleep on having a high level VIP scheme.
Customer Support
A helpful customer service is essential to keeping players happy and satisfied. Make sure the online casino has a customer support that are actually helpful, responsive and efficient in how they solve problems. A variety of customer service options helps as well: look for a live chat, mobile phone and an email – ideally on a 24/7 basis for the live chat.
Games
We mentioned before how important quality games are. Variety is the spice of life, but quality is the meat of gambling. You need to have good quality slot games, and table games that are worth your time to play. Look for games that are developed by reliable and trusted developers, such as NetEnt and Pragmatic Play. Also, make sure that the RTP on the slot games in Malaysia is as close to 96% as possible as this is around the average.
A Closer Look at a Recommended Malaysia Online Casino
If you’re looking for an online casino that meets all your online casino Malaysia needs, look no further than BC.Game. A crypto friendly casino, BC.Game offers the perfect mix of variety and quality that any player will enjoy. Their signup bonus is always generous and you can also take advantage of the regular daily rewards they offer, from rakeback offers to the great VIP Program.
Their interface is also easy to use, with everything you need being just a click away. With easy deposits and withdrawals, a great variety of both slots and casino games, BC.Game has everything a player needs for an enjoyable time.
18+. New players only. Minimum qualifying deposit of $10 (or equivalent). Receive up to $20,000 (in BCD) credited to Rakeback. Bonus unlocked based on wagering activities in casino and sports games, calculated as wager x 1% x 20%. Full terms and conditions apply.
Online Casino Malaysia Summary: Plenty of Great Options
- Gambling is legal, but heavily regulated in Malaysia. Only with casino play, not sports betting.
- Online casinos are not allowed to be setup within Malaysia – only international options are available
- Plenty online casinos offer matched deposit bonuses and free spins
- All gambling sites must be regulated by the BCU
There are plenty of licensed and reputable online casinos in Malaysia – so why not head to one now and try for yourself?
Frequently Asked Questions
Based in Malaysia and ready to start gambling? We recommend that you read our answers to some FAQs below first.
Some gambling is legal in Malaysia. All casino games are generally legal if they have been regulated by the government, but no sports betting is legal in Malaysia.
The best online casino in Malaysia right now is BC.Game, which offers a wide variety of games and secure payment options..
You can play with real money, but there is only one legally run land based Malaysian casino in the country. For online, your only options for casinos are international options, as all domestic based options are not legally run.
