Gambling woes to shoot up after Euro 2012

Euro fever: Mykitzone customer Joyce Lim, 20, looking at authentic techfit jerseys for the Euro 2012. These player issue jerseys are the exact ones worn by players and come in a nice bag.


Gambling problems are expected to get worse after Euro 2012 ends.

According to the Gamblers Rehab Centre, the number of calls to the GRC hotline is expected to triple after July 1.

Its secretary Karline Chew said: “It is only after the games, when they've lost all their money, that the gamblers or family seek help over their debts.

Surprise raid on 'mini casino'

A 'mini casino' in Jalan PJS 8/4, Sunway Mentari was raided last night by city police's secret societies, vice and gambling unit (D7).

Police officers, posing as customers, entered the shoplot and saw online roulette betting activities in progress.

DSP Izwan Abd Karim from the Selangor police headquarters, who headed the two-hour operation, said two officers entered the premise as customers to see if gambling activities were going on.

4D punters hit bull’s-eye

Punters who put their faith in the purported fake eggs have been repaid. The number 0959 came out in the Sports Toto four-digit lottery draw as a starter prize.

Punters came up with the number after consulting the chifa book, which correlates numbers to certain objects and actions. The number associated with egg is 959.

Some punters decided to add a zero in front of 959 as zero resembles the shape of an egg.

A punter, 52, who declined to be named, placed a bet on the number after reading about it in The Star on Saturday.

“It turned out to be a winning number when I checked the results in the evening. From now on, I will be more alert for potential ‘lucky’ numbers when reading the newspaper.

Bursa mum whether Vincent Tan did wrong

Bursa Malaysia today refused comment over the status of tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan's listed Berjaya Corporation's claim in a filing last month with the exchange that Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd had been issued a sports betting licence by the Finance Ministry, which the ministry denied yesterday.

The exchange referred The Malaysian Insider to the company's announcement of its intended acquisition of a controlling stake in Ascot Sports as it was not unconditional.

“Bursa Malaysia highlighted to Malaysian Insider that the conditions of the re-issuance of the licence is stated in the announcement made by Berjaya Corp Berhad on 12 May 2010,” a Bursa official wrote in an e-mail response to questions about whether Berjaya Corporation would be queried.

In the announcement, Berjaya Corporation had stated that “the Minister of Finance has given its approval for the re-issuance to Ascot of the licence to carry out sports betting operations upon certain terms and conditions.

MP: Who's lying - Ministy of Finance or Berjaya? MoF denied giving license to Ascot while Berjaya said already have.

Contradictory statements by the Finance Ministry and Berjaya Corporation Bhd over the controversial sports betting licence have raised questions as to who is telling the truth.

In a notice to Bursa Malaysia on May 12, the company stated: 'The Finance Ministry had given its approval for the re-issuance to Ascot of the licence to carry out sports betting operations.'

Copies of the notice were distributed this morning to journalists by Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua, at the Parliament lobby.

Finance Minister Najib Abdul Razak, in a written parliamentary reply yesterday had said the government has yet to issue the licence because public feedback is still being sought and additional terms and conditions are still being drafted.

Vincent Tan takes his detractors to task-alleged only minorities protests and it all about politics.

Berjaya Corporation chairman and chief executive officer Tan Sri Vincent Tan today lashed out at his detractors, saying the negative reaction to the re-issue of the sports betting licence to Ascot Sports is "all about politics".

Tan told a press conference there are "loud voices from the minority...against sports betting" but he is "totally convinced it is all about politics."

All the three Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states of Selangor, Penang and Kedah have banned sports betting, saying they will revoke the premises licence of betting outlets that collect sports bets.