KUALA LUMPUR – The controversial Hari Raya Aidilfitri commercial by online betting platform GDBet333, which encourages Muslims to gamble, has been taken down, while its social media sites have also been removed.
This comes less than a day after The Vibes reported on the Raya ad and following public backlash that called for stern action to be taken against the company.
However, it is uncertain if the removals were done by the company or the respective social media platforms.
The Hari Raya ad, which was previously displayed on the landing page of GDBet333’s official website https://gdwon3.com/en/home, has now been replaced by highlights of a recent Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
The company’s Facebook and Instagram pages, which are linked to its website, are no longer accessible.
Meanwhile, clicking on its Youtube link now takes you to an account named “Great Channel”, which has 34 subscribers and zero content.
A separate search on YouTube found another account by the name of GDBet333. However, the page only has two subscribers and one video of what is supposedly the company’s theme song.
Interestingly, the betting website is still active and running, with The Vibes managing to have a short live chat with one of its support agents.
GDBet333 calls itself “Malaysia’s top and trusted online casino”, and offers live dealer betting, slot games, online poker and 4D lotteries.
Its two-minute, 48-second Raya commercial, which features a catchy Raya song portrays a Muslim man planning to return to his home town, but sees he doesn’t have enough money.
The jingle claims there is an easy way to make money and promotes the company as offering the chance to win big.
The chorus goes: “GDBet333 ada, apa nak tunggu, marilah cuba, untung nasibmu, engkau berjaya, cuci semua, kemudian beraya (There is GDBet333, what are you waiting for, try it, if you’re lucky, you’ll win, clean it out, then celebrate Raya).”
In a statement today, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it had communicated with various social media platform providers to take down the content based on the services’ terms and community guidelines.
MCMC’s corporate communications department said the production of such content are subject to the Communications and Multimedia content code.
“Content producers must abide by these codes that are in accordance with the norms of the plural nature of Malaysian society.
“At the same time, all those involved, including production crew and actors, should be more sensitive in not abetting any activity that promotes online gambling, which is clearly an offence.”
MCMC also urged social media users to immediately alert the authorities on matters like this and not to disseminate the content, as this will directly help promote online gambling. – The Vibes, April 16, 2021
