Indonesian tourists not targeted for gambling in Malaysia: Tourism Chief
Malaysia is not promoting gambling tourism to Indonesian visitors, especially in Genting Highlands, despite the legal operation of casinos there, stated Dato’ Yeoh Soon Hin, Deputy Chairperson of Tourism Malaysia.
Addressing the media recently in South Jakarta, Dato’ Yeoh said, “I must emphasise that we do not encourage gambling.”
He stressed that while gambling is permitted in Genting Highlands, it is not the main attraction Malaysia offers to Indonesian tourists. “But if there are Indonesian tourists who seek (casinos) in Genting, we can’t stop them, and we can’t prevent them,” he added.
Malaysia promotes wider tourism offerings
Dato’ Yeoh said that Malaysia encourages Indonesian tourists to explore cultural sites and participate in sports tourism instead. “Malaysia does not target Indonesian tourists to visit casinos while in Malaysia, especially those in Genting Highlands,” he said.
He also reminded that gambling is fundamentally prohibited in Islam and that Malaysia respects Islamic law. In Malaysia, the operation of casinos is limited to specific locations and comes with strict rules. Malay people and Muslims are barred from entering such places. While horse racing and lottery gambling are legal in Malaysia, the government enforces a strict ban on sports betting and online gambling.
While Genting Highlands—just an hour from Kuala Lumpur—is known for its casinos, it also features other attractions such as star-rated hotels, restaurants, and amusement parks. The resort, established in 1965, is home to two legal casinos: Genting Casino and SkyCasino.
According to the Kuala-Lumpur.ws tourism site, these casinos offer over 400 electronic table games, 3,000 slot machines, 30 gaming tables for Blackjack, Tai Sai, and Russian Roulette, and VIP areas for high-stakes players.
Indonesia: a key tourism market
During the same event, Dato’ Yeoh also highlighted the strong tourism ties between Malaysia and Indonesia. He said that Indonesia became the second-largest source of tourists for Malaysia in 2024, with 4.1 million visitors—a 19.1% increase from 3.4 million in 2023.
“This increase reflects the close relationship between the two countries and the high interest of the Indonesian people in tourist destinations in Malaysia,” he said.
He further stated that the ease of air travel between the two countries has largely contributed to the rise in tourist numbers.
