PETALING JAYA: Malaysians Against Rape, Assault and Snatch Thefts (Marah) wants the police to come down hard on online gambling involving international sports events.

Marah founder Dave Avran said there was a huge amount of money to be made from online gambling and the “pay-off is too big to resist for these syndicates”, he told Star Online.

He emphasised the need for the police to work closely with the Malaysian Commu­nications and Multimedia Commis­sion (MCMC) to identify these illegal gaming websites.

“We need to revise existing legislation as well as introduce new acts for heavier penalties.

“Police should also set up a dedicated task force in every district to check on online gambling and focus on premises that offer live matches.”

Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) Senior Vice-Chairman Lee Lam Thye told the news portal that gambling and sports betting depended a lot on major sporting events.

He said in bad times, people hoped to make a big win but “end up losing more”.

“The authorities should not just go after the syndicates. We need to find ways to deter the gamblers.”