Malaysian authorities have opened a new front in their war against illegal gambling by terminating mobile phone numbers linked to text messages promoting gambling activity.

On Wednesday, the Bernama news agency reported that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had ordered local telecom firms to cancel over 8k phone numbers for promoting illegal gambling operations via Short Messaging Services (SMS).

Deputy minister in charge of communications Datuk Jailani Johari said the government had been forced to act after receiving over 400 complaints regarding the gambling text messages since last year. Jailani added that the government had forwarded the offending phone numbers to the police for further investigation.

Last August, the MCMC claimed the rise of SMS gambling promos was an indication of the success the government was having in stamping out illegal gambling websites. Through February of this year, Malaysia claimed to have blocked 399 such sites, putting it on pace to surpass the 2,200 sites it suppressed in 2015.

Malaysian authorities have opened a new front in their war against illegal gambling by terminating mobile phone numbers linked to text messages promoting gambling activity.

On Wednesday, the Bernama news agency reported that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had ordered local telecom firms to cancel over 8k phone numbers for promoting illegal gambling operations via Short Messaging Services (SMS).

Deputy minister in charge of communications Datuk Jailani Johari said the government had been forced to act after receiving over 400 complaints regarding the gambling text messages since last year. Jailani added that the government had forwarded the offending phone numbers to the police for further investigation.

Last August, the MCMC claimed the rise of SMS gambling promos was an indication of the success the government was having in stamping out illegal gambling websites. Through February of this year, Malaysia claimed to have blocked 399 such sites, putting it on pace to surpass the 2,200 sites it suppressed in 2015.

Russia plans to to bring ‘transparency’ to its grey market gambling sector, although it’s unclear whether this includes online gambling operators.

On Wednesday, Interfax quoted Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov (pictured) saying his ministry had prepared legislation to regulate ‘grey’ market gambling “to make it transparent and to bring the treasury revenues which are now hiding.” Siluanov said significant grey operations were “still present in the segment of games of chance.”

Interfax claimed Siluanov was referring to ‘one-armed bandits,’ aka gaming devices in land-based businesses, which are illegal outside of Russia’s designated casino zones.

But in last week’s annual televised Q&A, Russian president and occasional Bond villain Vladimir Putin claimed his government remained opposed to authorizing video lottery terminals outside these official zones, so it remains unclear exactly what ‘grey’ revenues Siluanov’s legislation hopes to capture.

Russia plans to to bring ‘transparency’ to its grey market gambling sector, although it’s unclear whether this includes online gambling operators.

On Wednesday, Interfax quoted Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov (pictured) saying his ministry had prepared legislation to regulate ‘grey’ market gambling “to make it transparent and to bring the treasury revenues which are now hiding.” Siluanov said significant grey operations were “still present in the segment of games of chance.”

Interfax claimed Siluanov was referring to ‘one-armed bandits,’ aka gaming devices in land-based businesses, which are illegal outside of Russia’s designated casino zones.

But in last week’s annual televised Q&A, Russian president and occasional Bond villain Vladimir Putin claimed his government remained opposed to authorizing video lottery terminals outside these official zones, so it remains unclear exactly what ‘grey’ revenues Siluanov’s legislation hopes to capture.