Content Forum highlights emerging tactics used
by online gambling syndicates to reach youth
The Communications and Multimedia
Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) is sounding the alarm over a growing
threat: online gambling syndicates are increasingly targeting Malaysian youth
through disguised content, covert recruitment, and algorithm-driven exposure.
Recent insights shared by Youth and Sports
Minister Hannah Yeoh reveal the scale of the issue, highlighting the rising
number of young people engaging in online gambling. According to the Content
Forum, this surge is not accidental, it is driven by syndicates that understand
how to exploit digital platforms, online behaviour patterns, and content
loopholes to reach children and teens long before adults notice.
“These groups are no longer waiting for youth to
find gambling. They are strategically pushing gambling into the
spaces where young people spend their time - social media, gaming, livestreams,
and influencer content,” said Mediha Mahmood, CEO of the Content Forum.
How Gambling Syndicates Reach Youth Without
Being Detected
Unlike traditional online harm, gambling
syndicates use multi-layered tactics designed to bypass monitoring tools,
parental oversight, and even platform policies. These include:
- Gambling
promotions disguised as gaming tips, sports commentary, or entertainment content
- Micro-influencers
paid to subtly normalise gambling behaviour
- Closed
groups and encrypted chats used to groom and recruit teens
- “Games”,
“challenges”, or “free credit” offers that function as gambling entry points
“What makes this dangerous is how ordinary it
looks. By the time parents realise what their child is engaging with, the hooks
have already been set,” Mediha said.
Closing the Gaps Before Harm Widens
To curb the spread of gambling-related content,
the Content Forum is calling for stronger safeguards across the ecosystem.
Priority areas include:
- Stricter
standards for influencer marketing and covert promotions
- Clearer
accountability for brands and influencers amplifying harmful content
- Stronger
collaboration with platforms to detect and remove disguised gambling materials
- Greater
parental oversight of children’s digital engagement
- Public
awareness on recruitment tactics targeting youth
Treating Online Gambling as a Digital Safety
Issue
Online gambling is increasingly packaged as
entertainment, lifestyle content, or an easy way to earn money; which makes it
go beyond a moral concern to a digital safety risk.
“We cannot allow harmful actors to out-innovate
the safeguards meant to protect our youth,” Mediha said. “It will take
responsible content design, stricter industry discipline, and strong
self-regulation to ensure that young Malaysians can explore online spaces
safely.”
The Content Forum will continue working with
regulators, platforms, industry players, and civil society to strengthen
content standards that protect young users from harmful, misleading, and
exploitative online experiences.
