Government Proposes Penal Code Amendment to Criminalise Gambling
An amendment to the Maldives Penal Code has been proposed to make gambling and gambling businesses illegal
The government has proposed an amendment to the Maldives Penal Code Act to criminalise gambling and the operation of gambling establishments.
The amendment bill was submitted to Parliament on behalf of the government by Member of Parliament Ahmed Azaan Marzooq.
Under the proposed changes, gambling and operating gambling establishments would be classified as fourth-degree criminal offences. The bill sets out penalties ranging from a minimum of four months’ imprisonment to a maximum of four years, depending on the severity of the offence.
The bill defines gambling as betting on future outcomes and explicitly includes online and electronic forms of gambling. It also clarifies that certain prize-based entertainment activities are excluded from the legal definition of gambling.
The first reading of the bill is scheduled to take place at a special sitting of Parliament on 5 January.
