Letter: Anti-illegal Betting Campaign

1. Perak Turf Club will be launching its Anti-Illegal Betting Campaign (AIBC) on November 16-17.
2. The horse racing industry supports the livelihood of thousands of Malaysian citizens – jockeys, horse trainers, veterinarians and other employees of turf clubs – as well as those in related equine businesses which supply horse fodder, horse-racing equipment, saddlery and riding gear, and equine medicine and health products.
3. The licensed turf clubs in Malaysia typically pay very high duties and taxes on their gross revenue – an average of 12.4% in addition to the income tax rate of 28% on profits earned.
4. However, for many years now, the racing industry has been plagued by the increasingly rampant unlawful activities of illegal bookmakers. These illegal operators secretly conduct their illegal activities on-site at the turf club premises as well as use sophisticated computerized and online systems to lure betting customers away from the legal betting counters of the licensed turf clubs.
5. Hence, these illegal bookmakers steal millions of ringgit in betting revenues from the licensed turf clubs by enticing betting customers away to their nefarious online betting platforms and illegal bookmaking activities.
6. The loss of betting revenues due to illegal bookmaking activities is extremely huge, estimated to be at least several billion ringgit per year.
7. With the loss of betting revenues attributed to the activities of these illegal bookmakers, consequently, the Malaysian Government is also deprived of millions of ringgit in gaming taxes and duties which would otherwise be paid on the betting revenues stolen from the licensed turf clubs.
8. As we all know, illegal bookmakers pay no taxes at all.
9. Perak Turf Club has taken the initiative to launch the AIBC with the following objectives:
   1. 1. To caution and discourage our betting customers from betting with illegal bookmakers as it is an offence under the law.
      2. To inform our betting customers of the harsher penalties imposed by the soon to be legislated new laws which punish not just illegal bookmakers and their runners but also those who bet with them.
      3. To highlight the risks of betting with such illegal bookmakers; these risks include betting disputes, not being paid their winnings as well as being prosecuted for unlawful betting.
      4. To reinforce the message that it is always safer and better “to bet legally & win happily.”

10. As part of Perak Turf Club’s efforts to curb illegal bookmaking activities, it has installed a camera surveillance system (CCTV) with extensive coverage in its betting halls to monitor and deter illegal bookmaking and betting activities.

11. Perak Turf Club hopes that the AIBC will complement the efforts of the Police Di Raja Malaysia and other enforcement authorities in clamping down on the activities of illegal bookmakers.

12. Unless the unlawful activities of illegal bookmakers are effectively curbed, the business of the licensed turf clubs and the livelihood of thousands of Malaysian citizens in the racing industry will face a very bleak and precarious future.

Perak Turf Club