Why Online Casino Websites Keep Changing Domains in Malaysia
Opening an online casino site in Malaysia can work right now. It might not load if you try the same link a month later. Operators have recently switched to a new web address. What is a mirror site? It is a replica: the same casino, the same accounts, but a different domain name. Blocking is the reason. Malaysian authorities primarily combat illegal online gambling by blocking websites, and the cheapest workaround is an online casino domain change.
This article explains why online casinos keep changing domains in Malaysia, how the blocking works, and what the public record shows. I mark where something is sourced and where it is my own explanation.
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Is online gambling legal in Malaysia?
No. According to a November 2021 New Straits Times article, licenses are restricted to lotteries, horse racing, and casinos; sports betting and online gambling are prohibited. Genting Highlands is the only legitimate land-based casino, and it has a license from the Betting Control Unit of the Finance Ministry. In practice, no online casino in Malaysia holds a local license. Check the Betting Control Unit before quoting any of that as law, because it is a newspaper summary, not the statute.
The outdated laws are the problem. The Betting Act 1953 and the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 were designed for actual locations. Online gambling in Malaysia requires a new law, according to Deputy Communications Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin, who told Parliament in November 2021 that police can only make arrests when gambling takes place in a gaming establishment (Malay Mail). He also proposed an alternative solution: licensing internet operators so the government can control them and impose taxes. This is because the government is unable to impose taxes on gambling that originates in nations like Thailand and the Philippines. The Home Ministry, which was examining the laws, reportedly made no mention of regulation, according to Vixio. It said it was consulting Finance to determine whether the legislation needed to be amended – two ministries, two distinct paths.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution stated in June 2023 that both Acts were out of date and that because they do not cover online gambling, offenders could prevail in court (Malay Mail). Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof announced the drafting of a bill in February 2026. It was still unclear if it would be a stand-alone act or changes to current legislation (The Vibes; AGBrief). I could not confirm whether it has been tabled, so check the Parliament website.
How MCMC blocks gambling websites
Enforcement relies on MCMC website blocking while the law remains unresolved. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) asks internet service providers to restrict access to specific websites. Police enforce the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, according to a Communications Ministry response to Parliament in July 2026. Under the Online Safety Act 2025 and the Communications and Multimedia Act of 1998, MCMC blocks websites (The Star, July 16, 2026).
The numbers on blocked gambling websites are large. Online gambling accounted for 4,484 of the 10,423 websites that MCMC blocked for various reasons between January 1, 2022, and August 1, 2024 (The Sun, August 8, 2024, citing an MCMC statement). ISPs blocked an additional 1,778 gambling websites between January 2025 and May 2026, and service providers removed 457,562 pieces of gambling-related content. That was 98% of the 467,772 takedown requests (The Star). Additionally, MCMC stated in the 2024 announcement that it was collaborating with service providers on DNS administration.
Why online casinos keep changing domains
Here is my explanation, based on how DNS blocking generally works. The DNS service of your provider converts an address you type into a server address. DNS blocking makes that lookup fail. The casino server is still operational. All that’s missing is the name.
Thus, an online casino domain change is inexpensive. The website is restored after the operator registers a new domain and points it at the same server. A live casino earns far more than a new name costs, and many domain extensions are extremely inexpensive. Operators can register spares in advance and rotate through them.
Experts say the same. In 2025, Prof. Dr. Nor Badrul Anuar, a cybersecurity specialist at Universiti Malaya, told The Sun that to stay ahead of authorities, illegal online gambling websites rotate IP addresses, switch domains, and use VPNs and proxies. He described enforcement as a game of “whack-a-mole” and said new websites can appear within hours, often hosted in places Malaysian law cannot reach.
How players find the new address
If players cannot locate a new domain, online casino mirror sites are useless. Because search results can be reported and deleted, I argue that operators cannot rely on search engines. The record does show where authorities are looking. In 2026, MCMC said it is stepping up its surveillance of websites and social media and pressuring companies to respond to takedown requests more quickly (Asia News Network). According to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, unlawful gambling accounted for 51% of the content that was flagged and removed in the first part of 2025. Facebook had the most flagged content, followed closely by TikTok (The Sun, July 1, 2025).
VPNs are an additional option. VPNs enable users to access international gambling sites that target Malaysians and take ringgit, according to criminologist Datuk Shahul Hamid Abd Rahim, who spoke with The Sun. He also explained how syndicates divide the work. One team creates websites, another manages cryptocurrency or e-wallet payments, and still others handle marketing and customer support. Because the machine keeps running, that structure reduces the damage caused by a single block.
Why blocking alone does not stop online gambling in Malaysia
A block in Malaysia cuts one path to a business based elsewhere, because most operators are located abroad. That is the first reason. The second is the structure Shahul Hamid outlined, which consists of distinct teams that may be swapped out one at a time.
The third is an admission made by a minister. In 2023, Saifuddin said it would be laughable to claim that illegal gambling is free from political patronage (Malay Mail). He made that claim, and I found no source naming cases. This helps explain why the issue has persisted.
Prosecutions are still ongoing. According to data provided to Parliament, there were 2,294 charges for online gambling offenses in 2019, 2,911 in 2020, and 2,165 in 2021, totaling 7,370 (Free Malaysia Today). They show thousands of charges every year. They do not show how many operators are involved and how many players are involved. FMT added that although operating an online casino is prohibited, using one hosted overseas is sometimes referred to as a “grey area” because the Act does not specifically address it.
What this means for players
In my opinion, an online casino in Malaysia that frequently changes its address is not a typical company experiencing a technological issue. Regular changes typically indicate the website is being blocked because of its unlawful operations in Malaysia, and I wouldn’t expect a website in that situation to give much thought to consumer protection. The practical point is easier to understand. There is no Malaysian regulator to file a complaint with, because these operators are not licensed here.
What we still do not know
The government makes public the number of websites it blocks. It does not disclose how many replacement domains surface, how long a site runs before it is stopped, or how many distinct operators run the 1,778 sites. Any exact domain-switching rate is an estimate. Rotating domains may become less important if the new gambling law is passed and covers payments and advertising. If not, anticipate that the existing trend will persist.
Frequently asked questions
Why do online casinos keep changing domains?
Users in Malaysia are unable to access a blocked domain. A new domain pointing to the same server can be set up quickly and affordably.
Is online gambling legal in Malaysia?
No. Lotteries, horse racing, and the Genting casino are licensed, and online gambling is prohibited (New Straits Times, 2021). A 2021 Free Malaysia Today report noted that using a foreign site is often considered a grey area because the Act does not specifically address it.
How many gambling websites has MCMC blocked?
At MCMC’s request, ISPs blocked 1,778 gambling websites between January 2025 and May 2026 (The Star).
Sources
- The Star, July 16, 2026: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2026/07/16/over-450000-online-gambling-posts-removed-1778-websites-blocked-since-january-2025
- The Sun, “Over 10,000 websites blocked by MCMC since 2022,” Aug 8, 2024: https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/over-10000-websites-blocked-by-mcmc-since-2022-hi12835561/
- The Sun, “Uphill battle to curb ‘elusive’ online gambling menace,” July 1, 2025: https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/uphill-battle-to-curb-elusive-online-gambling-menace-go14382774/
- Asia News Network, 2026: https://asianews.network/malaysian-authorities-on-lookout-for-illegal-gambling-services-online/
- New Straits Times, “Govt mulls legalising online gambling,” Nov 2021: https://nst.com.my/amp/news/nation/2021/11/745549/govt-mulls-legalising-online-gambling
- Malay Mail, Nov 15, 2021: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/11/15/as-4d-outlets-banned-in-kedah-communication-ministry-moots-regulation-of-on/2020971
- Malay Mail, June 15, 2023: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/06/15/saifuddin-nasution-home-ministry-will-push-to-amend-outdated-legislations-to-fight-online-gambling/74394
- Free Malaysia Today, Nov 8, 2021: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/11/08/7000-charged-with-online-gambling-offences-since-2019
- Vixio, Nov 16, 2021: https://vixio.com/insights/gc-malaysia-confirms-talks-online-gambling-liberalisation
- The Vibes, Feb 2026: https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/119575/government-drafting-bill-to-address-online-gambling-fadillah
- AGBrief, Feb 19, 2026: https://agbrief.com/news/malaysia/19/02/2026/malaysia-drafts-bill-to-curb-online-gambling-aiming-for-parliamentary-tabling-soon/
