Football Internet Gaming Losses

19-year-old boy lost RM8 million in high-stakes gambling within three years

Written by Stephanie Liew   

At the tender age of 16, this millionaire's son was addicted to high-stakes gambling. By the time he celebrates his 19th birthday, the teenager has lost RM8 million. According to a local daily, the boy was merely following his father's footsteps and got addicted to foreign football betting on the Internet.

He was even nicknamed Little Dragon for the gambling addiction. When he was growing up, the father often spends time to gamble and thus, the boy was only copying his father's footsteps. When gambling agents offered him a credit of RM100,000, he jumped at the chance to begin football betting over the Internet.

He never learned his lesson as the father would help to settle the debt whenever the boy is in trouble. Within the three years he was addicted to high-stakes gambling, the father had bailed him out a couple of times.

Only when the boy lost RM8 million within the three years, the father decided to stop his son's addiction and told him to withdraw from an Australian degree programme at a college in Petaling Jaya. He is currently working for the father.

There were times when the boy used the tuition fees given to settle the debts. Loan sharks would appear at his doorstep if he failed to settle the debts. Upon learning on the youth's gambling addiction, Klang Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Teh Kim Poo convinced him to come forward and share his experiences with the public.

But the boy refused to reveal his identity. Teh concluded that part of the problem lies in the gambling agents who hunted for rich kids. They would go all out to seek for teenagers from rich families in high-end colleges.

Teen's $3.4m losses

A boy who went into high-stakes gambling at the age of 16 accumulated losses amounting to about RM8 million (S$3.4 million) by the time he was 19. --ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

PORT KLANG - A BOY who went into high-stakes gambling at the age of 16 accumulated losses amounting to about RM8 million (S$3.4 million) by the time he was 19.

The boy, a millionaire's son, had allegedly followed in his father's footsteps by gambling and ended up losing millions in foreign football bets over the Internet. His compulsion for betting was so great that he came to be known as the Little Dragon.

On Monday, Klang Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Teh Kim Poo, who was unable to coax the teenager to come forward to relate his gambling spree, said the youth's gambling habit stemmed from his father, a compulsive gambler.

'This teenager grew up watching his father gamble and at the age of 16, he began to gamble after gambling agents gave him a credit line of RM100,000. Each time he was buried in debt, his father would bail him out. 
Over these three years, there have been several bail-outs,' he said. Datuk Teh added when the accumulated losses came to RM8 million, it was the last straw for the father. The man, in his 50s, barred him from gambling and stopped his son from attending college. He now works with his father.

According to Datuk Teh, the teenager who was pursuing an Australian degree programme at a college in Petaling Jaya had on several occasions used college fees to settle his debts and extend his credit line. He would lie to his father that college fees needed to be paid and use the money to pay the gambling agents. On occasions when he could not settle the debt, the agents would send loansharks to collect from the father. Datuk Teh said gambling agents were the culprits who went after teenagers from rich families.

'Most times, these agents would go to 'high-end colleges' and look for these rich kids. ' Datuk Teh added that Pandamaran New Village had become a hot place for such gambling and simple wooden houses were equipped with Internet facilities for the activity. -- THE STAR/ANN

Boy's RM8mil gambling losses  
 By EDWARD R. HENRY Edward@thestar.com.my 

PORT KLANG: A boy who went into high-stakes gambling at the age of 16 accumulated losses amounting to about RM8mil by the time he was 19.

The boy, a millionaire’s son, had allegedly followed in his father’s footsteps by gambling and ended up losing millions in foreign football bets over the Internet.

His compulsion for betting was so great that he came to be known as the Little Dragon.
Yesterday, Klang Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Teh Kim Poo (pic) who was unable to coax the teenager to come forward to relate his gambling spree, said the youth’s gambling habit stemmed from his father, a compulsive gambler.

“This teenager grew up watching his father gamble and at the age of 16, he began to gamble after gambling agents gave him a credit line of RM100,000. Each time he was buried in debt, his father would bail him out. Over these three years, there have been several bail-outs,” he said.

Teh added when the accumulated losses came to RM8mil, it was the last straw for the father. The man, in his 50s, barred him from gambling and stopped his son from attending college. He now works with his father.
According to Teh, the teenager who was pursuing an Australian degree programme at a college in Petaling Jaya had on several occasions used college fees to settle his debts and extend his credit line.

He would lie to his father that college fees needed to be paid and use the money to pay the gambling agents.
On occasions when he could not settle the debt, the agents would send Ah Long to collect from the father.
Teh said gambling agents were the culprits who went after teenagers from rich families.

“Most times, these agents would go to ‘high-end colleges’ and look for these rich kids. ”

Teh added that Pandamaran New Village had become a hot place for such gambling and simple wooden houses were equipped with Internet facilities for the activity.

On Sunday, Klang and Kapar MCA held an “Anti-Gambling at Internet Cafes” signature campaign at the Taman Eng Ann morning market. It got more than 2,000 signatures from parents in two hours.

Klang OCPD Asst Comm Moha-mad Mat Yusop urged the public to provide information on gambling dens that existed in Internet cafes so swift action can be taken.