When Gaming Turns Into Gambling

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Content Forum highlights emerging tactics used by online gambling syndicates to reach youth
The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) is sounding the alarm over a growing threat: online gambling syndicates are increasingly targeting Malaysian youth through disguised content, covert recruitment, and algorithm-driven exposure.
Recent insights shared by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh reveal the scale of the issue, highlighting the rising number of young people engaging in online gambling. According to the Content Forum, this surge is not accidental, it is driven by syndicates that understand how to exploit digital platforms, online behaviour patterns, and content loopholes to reach children and teens long before adults notice.

“These groups are no longer waiting for youth to find gambling. They are strategically pushing gambling into the spaces where young people spend their time - social media, gaming, livestreams, and influencer content,” said Mediha Mahmood, CEO of the Content Forum.

 

How Gambling Syndicates Reach Youth Without Being Detected

Unlike traditional online harm, gambling syndicates use multi-layered tactics designed to bypass monitoring tools, parental oversight, and even platform policies. These include:

Gambling promotions disguised as gaming tips, sports commentary, or entertainment contentMicro-influencers paid to subtly normalise gambling behaviourClosed groups and encrypted chats used to groom and recruit teens“Games”, “challenges”, or “free credit” offers that function as gambling entry points
“What makes this dangerous is how ordinary it looks. By the time parents realise what their child is engaging with, the hooks have already been set,” Mediha said.

 

Closing the Gaps Before Harm Widens

To curb the spread of gambling-related content, the Content Forum is calling for stronger safeguards across the ecosystem. Priority areas include:

Stricter standards for influencer marketing and covert promotionsClearer accountability for brands and influencers amplifying harmful contentStronger collaboration with platforms to detect and remove disguised gambling materialsGreater parental oversight of children’s digital engagementPublic awareness on recruitment tactics targeting youth
 

Treating Online Gambling as a Digital Safety Issue

Online gambling is increasingly packaged as entertainment, lifestyle content, or an easy way to earn money; which makes it go beyond a moral concern to a digital safety risk.

“We cannot allow harmful actors to out-innovate the safeguards meant to protect our youth,” Mediha said. “It will take responsible content design, stricter industry discipline, and strong self-regulation to ensure that young Malaysians can explore online spaces safely.”

The Content Forum will continue working with regulators, platforms, industry players, and civil society to strengthen content standards that protect young users from harmful, misleading, and exploitative online experiences.

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