KUALA LUMPUR: Sports Toto continues to contribute to sports development in the country even though profits have declined over the years due to illegal online gambling, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Thursday (Oct 30).
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the allocation from Sports Toto has reduced due to the rise of online gambling, which affected the income of the company.
“As stipulated in the law, Sports Toto is required to allocate their share for the nation’s sports development, which they do until today.
“But the issue now is that their contribution has declined of late, not because they are unwilling to contribute but due to the rise of illegal online gambling,” she said during her ministry’s winding up speech at the policy stage for Budget 2026 at the Dewan Rakyat here, Thursday.
Yeoh said many people opt to gamble online but not all platforms are legitimate.
“As they are illegal, the government cannot collect taxes from them. Consequently, Sports Toto’s revenue has also decreased.
“This matter has been discussed, and the company has appealed for stronger enforcement against illegal online gambling, so that such activities do not lead to wastage.
“It is all wasted revenue online as the government cannot collect taxes from it. But, we continue to appreciate their ongoing contributions,” she added.
Earlier, Datuk Willie Mongin (GPS-Puncak Borneo) asked the minister if Sports Toto still contributes to the country’s sports development after it was privatised in 1985.
“As we all know, many sports associations and even the government are currently burdened with the responsibility of generating funds and supporting the nation’s sporting arena.
“If I am not mistaken, in 1969, Sports Toto Malaysia was established by the Finance Ministry to help the country generate revenue to support our athletes. However, in 1985, the company was privatised.
“I would like to ask whether, following its privatisation, the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) obligations are still being carried out. This is because one of the conditions during privatisation was for the company to continue contributing CSR funds to the government,” he said.
