Gambling is centuries old at this point and, regardless of opinion, will not be going away anytime soon. Instead, It will continue to evolve alongside humans. It has already come so far from the days of only land-based casinos to reveal a global network of online betting. Now, Malaysia is about to see a major evolution in the industry following decades of harsh restrictions.
Due to the country being majority-Muslim, gambling has been largely banned, with exceptions made for non-muslims in specific areas. However, the rise of the internet has seen some of its citizens embrace gambling sites to get their needs met. As we approach 2025, the gambling scene in the country is on track to change once again.
First, cryptocurrency will play a great role. These digital assets have been dominating the gambling scene around the world for a while now but Malaysia is about to see this in full force. Adoption rates of crypto and now gambling have been steadily growing, which could lead to some interesting results. As Michael Graw writes, many more people are looking to find Malaysian online casinos, and moving forward, we can only expect adoption rates to keep increasing.
Several factors contribute to the popularity of crypto for gambling, including the chance to make more profit, increased privacy, and more control over assets. For the Malaysian audience, these continue to be a draw.
Another trend we can expect to see is Artificial Intelligence. AI has become one of the most widely used technologies in the world thanks to tools like Chat-GPT. The gambling sector has not been left behind in this AI revolution, with the tech being used to offer personalized recommendations to players, enhance customer service, and whatnot. Online casinos are always in a bid to outdo one another and AI can give them a leg up. This, in turn, will increase players' expectations of what an online casino should offer and this will be reflected among Malaysian players as well.
Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) are also having a moment, with gamers wanting a more immersive experience. Gambling consumers are not exempt as while they are happy to gamble from the comfort of their homes, many also want an experience closer to the 'real' casino. With this in mind, we will see more online casinos catering to the Malaysian market.
Another trend will be eSports. While we have bet on sports played by other humans and even animals, the last few years have seen the rise of eSports, essentially sports that feature people playing video games. Several eSports tournaments have emerged, with millions of dollars in prize money on the line. This has been tied to the growth of the video game industry as a whole and has seen more people betting on them. Given the popularity of video games in Malaysia and the rise in betting, 2025 will see more eSports gambling in that market.
Finally, 2025 could see major changes with regard to Malaysia's gambling laws. As we've pointed out, gambling is not as legally accepted in the country compared to others. But all the signs point to Malaysian gambling only becoming bigger and more profitable. If more people are gambling using innovative tech like blockchain and AI, the government will be under pressure to loosen its laws.
Lobbying groups and changes in consumer attitudes could see Malaysia become more pro-gambling and that only stands to benefit the industry at large. As the next year unfolds, it will be interesting to see how these changes take shape.