What do Genting’s own rules say about Muslims?
Resorts World Genting’s rules limit casino access to people aged 21 and over1 and, for Malaysian citizens, to non-Muslims only1. The wording appears in the age gate on Genting’s website, which asks visitors to confirm both conditions before showing casino content.
The Genting Rewards terms say the same thing for membership. Clause 2 sets a 21+ age limit and excludes Malaysian Muslims3 from gaming-related cards. A casino membership card also needs a valid photo ID such as an NRIC or passport3. Malaysian Muslims who join Genting Rewards receive non-gaming SkyCards4 rather than gaming cards.
| Group | Genting casino access | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Muslim Malaysians aged 21+ | Allowed | Genting age gate and Rewards terms |
| Muslim Malaysian citizens | Not allowed | Genting age gate1 |
| Anyone under 21 | Not allowed | Genting age gate1 |
| Foreign Muslims | Not stated by Genting | No source |
For the full entry rules, including what to bring, see Genting casino age and entry.
Which law makes gambling an offence for Muslims in Malaysia?
State Syariah criminal laws make gambling an offence for Muslims in Malaysia. Each state has its own enactment, and the penalties we could read are the same:
| Jurisdiction | Law and section | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Territories (KL, Putrajaya, Labuan) | Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997, s18 | Fine up to RM3,000, up to 2 years’ jail, or both5 |
| Selangor | Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1995, s17 | Fine up to RM3,000, up to 2 years’ jail, or both2 |
| Kedah | Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 2013, s16 | Fine up to RM3,000, up to 2 years’ jail, or both6 |
| Pahang | Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 2013 | Not confirmed7 |
The offence covers being found in a gaming house as well as gambling. The Federal Territories Act defines a gaming house to include games whether or not another law permits them, so a licensed casino is not an exception. Selangor’s enactment gives a defence to someone found in a gambling house who neither knew nor could have known2 what it was.
Genting Highlands lies in Pahang. We could not read the Pahang enactment’s gambling section because the state’s portal was under maintenance, so we do not state its penalty here.
Is the Genting ban a federal law?
No federal statute we read sets out the ban on Muslims at the Genting casino. The casino licence section of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 says nothing about religion, and the licence conditions themselves are not published, so the precise legal basis was not found8. What is established is narrower: Genting’s own rules exclude Malaysian Muslims, and state Syariah laws penalise Muslims who gamble.
How the rule is enforced at the door is also not documented officially. A DAP Pahang politician said in 2024 that security staff check the non-Muslim requirement at the casino entrances8. Genting has not published the method, and we have not confirmed it.
Could the rules for Muslims at Genting change?
The rules could change through politics, but nothing had changed as of October 2026. Industry press describes Malaysia’s Muslim majority as barred from gaming9 already, and the debate is about whether to go further. In September 2024 a PAS Pahang deputy commissioner said the party would close gambling premises including the Genting casino10 if it won the state, while accepting that federal jurisdiction might block it. A senior Pahang PAS leader later said the aim was to restrict gambling through existing laws rather than shut Genting. The casino licence itself runs for no more than 3 months at a time11 and is renewed by the Minister of Finance, so its terms sit with the federal government.
Do the same rules apply to 4D for Muslims?
4D operators apply a similar rule for Muslims. Da Ma Cai sells only to people who are 21+ and non-Muslim12, and Sports Toto states the same requirement13. See how 4D works for the general rules.
What is the Islamic position on gambling?
Islam forbids gambling (maysir). The Quran, in Surah al-Ma’idah 5:90, calls gambling defilement from the work of Satan14 and tells believers to avoid it. In 2021 JAKIM advised Muslims to keep away from every form of gambling15. We explain the religious position in more detail, in Malay, at Adakah judi haram?
For the wider legal picture, read Is gambling legal in Malaysia? and our Genting casino guide.