Penang will not budge on its decision to ban football betting, regardless of appeals by Berjaya Corp tycoon Vincent Tan.

                    

lim guan eng at sports betting ban pc june 6 Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (left ) told a press conference today the decision was a state matter.

He brushed off Tan’s justification that banning the license will give rise to illegal bookies as “his (Tan’s) personal opinion. He is entitled to it.”

“Our stand is clear. It (gambling) is excessive and there should be some reduction in it,” he told reporters after launching Georgetown Festival at the Berjaya Hotel today.

However, Lim added that he was ‘open’ to appeals.    

‘Appeal and appeal’

Yesterday Tan, whose company Ascot Sports is the sole beneficiary of the soccer betting licence - pledged to donate over half a billion ringgit to charity.

He also insisted that the legalisation of sports betting will help curb illegal bookies, who offer cut-throat credits.

vincent tan sports betting Tan ( right ) said he would “ appeal over and over again ” to the Pakatan state governments over the bans.  

Lim said he has yet to receive any such appeal, confirming that an official letter to inform Ascot about the ban has been issued.

He added he was confident that Ascot will heed the state’s decision on the matter.                    

When asked, Lim commented that the state was not planning to monitor any illegal sports betting activities.

“If there were illegal betting going on, that would be the job of the enforcement (agencies) and the police,” he added.    

He added that telephone and internet betting was under the purview of Telekoms, and not the state administration.     

“You would have to ask the prime minister about this, not me,” he said.

Donation won't make gambling 'halal', says NGO

Vincent Tan defends sports gambling