Federal Court Affirms Federal Licensing Authority Over Kedah’s Attempt to Block Betting Licenses
The state cannot use premise licensing to block federally licensed operators.
The Federal Court has shut down Kedah’s latest attempt to revive its challenge to the renewal of pool betting and lottery licences, leaving in place a ruling that the state cannot use premise licensing to block federally licensed operators.
According to Malay Mail, the bench, led by Justice Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang with Justices Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah and Datuk Azmi Ariffin, found the proposed legal questions did not meet the threshold for leave to appeal and ordered Kedah to pay RM50,000 in costs.
Federal Line Holds
The decision reinforced the Court of Appeal’s earlier view that betting and lottery licensing sits with the Finance Ministry, not state authorities.
The Court described the government’s cease of license renewal as ‘irrational and unconstitutional’.
Kedah first suggested not renewing licenses in 2022.
In response, Malaysian Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said, “My personal view is that our friends will lose their jobs. Also, we have had past experiences when samsu (cheap liquor) shops were made illegal—the operators went underground. “
