 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! |
Gaming News
Malaysian Cybercafes Becoming Gambling Dens6 January 2002KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia -- Jan. 7, 2002 -- As reported by the (Malaysia) Star: ``Most cybercafes in Sabah are only a little more than gambling dens with many of them getting protection from "higher ups''. ``And now there is renewed talk on a crackdown of such businesses that have flourished even in the smaller towns. ``...Kota Kinabalu mayor Datuk Ghani Rashid has also promised to launch a crackdown on owners of errant cybercafes, some of which were even allowing under-aged patrons to download pornographic materials from the Internet. ``His warning came barely a week after a 58-year-old pensioner sought police protection from thugs for apparently failing to settle his gambling debts at a cybercafe he frequented. ``...Such activities in cybercafes were allowed to flourish as their owners were "close friends'' of certain politicians, said Consumers Association of Sabah president Patrick Sindu. ``But the mushrooming of gambling activities at cybercafes was also due to the absence of specific laws relating to such businesses, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Yusuff said. ``He said this anomaly would be addressed once amendments to the Gaming House Act has been passed by Parliament..." |