Malaysia faces protests against gambling decision

Gambling is forbidden in the Muslim religion, and although the government allowed the license, they do not allow Muslims to gamble. The Pan Malaysian Islamic Party organized the protests on Friday. "We must act before gambling floods our country," said Kamaruzaman Mohamad, a PAS official. "Gambling is a cancer in our society." Malaysia is just one of the many countries that has expanded their gambling laws in recent years.

Even bigger than they sports betting license is the potential for conflict because of a land-based casino that is operated by the Genting Group. The company also has opened a casino in Singapore, but that casino has not seen any protest demonstrations.

The Asian market is becoming one of the biggest gambling markets in the world. Macau has already surpassed Las Vegas as the top grossing casino destination, and with casinos in Malaysia and Singapore, the gaming growth does not appear to be slowing. Las Vegas Sands also has a casino resort in Singapore.

Protests are commonplace when it comes to the gambling issue. In the US, almost every state has added casino gambling, and in many cases, the opposition made their voices heard through public outcries of organized demonstrations.