Kuching man fined RM1,000 for betting on Euro 2024 matches

KUCHING (Sept 12): The Magistrates’ Court here today fined a man RM1,000 in default two months in jail for betting on Euro 2024 football matches.

Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan convicted Simon Kuan Kim Po, 28, on his own guilty plea to a charge under Section 6(1) of the Betting Act 1953.

The Section provides for a fine not exceeding RM5,000, or imprisonment of up to six months, or both, upon conviction.

According to the charge, Kuan committed the offence in a premises at Jalan Batu Kawa here at 3.55pm on June 19.

Based on the facts of the case, a team of police officers conducting Ops Soga X raided the premises and arrested Kuan for allegedly being involved in football betting activities.

During the raid, the police found a smartphone suspected to have been used for illegal betting related to the Euro 2024 football tournament, which was subsequently seized as evidence.

Also seized were RM230, three sheets of Euro 2024 match schedules, and a bill book listing football bets.

The investigation revealed that Kuan had been manually conducting bets using a smartphone.

Kuan was not represented by a lawyer, while prosecuting officer ASP Suziana Suleiman appeared for the prosecution.