Today, online gambling has been very popular among the Myanmar people.  

The majority of businesses in the country are facing low sales, high prices and high production costs. In contrast, online gambling is a business that does not require large investment to run.  

A man familiar with online gambling said: “Only application software is costly. It is a cost for writing software. And other things will cost almost nothing.”

“Those who have long been involved in gambling are usually hired. There are bookies, and sub-bookies who work on commission. It is the bookies who will become super rich because of online gambling,” he added.

Online gambling that gathered momentum before political change in Myanmar has picked up speed since political change.

“In the past there were only a few online gambling businesses. Now they are ubiquitous. You can bet in many different styles,” said a gambling observer.

According to a witness, after online gambling applications have been downloaded from Google Playstore, employees appointed by bookmakers make contact by phone saying that what an initial amount is to play games and how much percentage can be available as a bonus after top-up fees have been paid.

“Soon after we have downloaded an application, we receive a phone call explaining the procedure. The phone caller will be a lady,” he recounted.

■ Online gambling that has become popular in Myanmar.

Most popular online gambling applications are betting on football matches, playing sharks, archery and playing cards.

Previously, gamblers needed to look for bookies outside to bet on football matches. They can now be found online. Some Facebook groups and accounts are engaging in football gambling by receiving commission fees. Gamblers can contact them by making online payments through Kpay or Wave Money. 

“Some games give a huge bonus. When we top up 1,000 kyats, we get back a bonus of 1,000 kyats. It’s double. Then we can start playing,” said a man who used to play online games.

The winning money can be withdrawn from an agent or via online payment. No one can imagine how much money is being circulated in the online gambling industry because everyone can play in all places of the country if they have internet access. 

“In Ayeyawady Region, some rich people make online appointments to play cards. There are many. They play games. They play more at night,” said a man who used to play online games.

Now, people are engaging in online virtual card playing games rather than playing in person. At least millions are circulated in such a game.

“In some games, tens of millions of kyats are used. Most play Shan baccarat,” he added. 

Online gambling businesses are usually run by agents who work for their bookmakers by receiving commission fees.

A man familiar with online gambling said: “Some single software applications carry several games to play. So, the amount of circulated money is huge. Now, online games can be made known to the people through Facebook boosting. Other businesses are not OK anymore. The situation is worsening as online gambling is rampant now.”

■ How can action be taken against online gambling?

In early January this year, the State Administration Council (SAC) announced that action would be taken against online gambling.

The announcement came after a news agency asked the Viber Group of SAC any plan to take action against online advertising of games involving gambling.

Under the National league for Democracy government before political change in Myanmar, the Directorate of Telecommunications issued a statement waning against online gambling.

With improving telecommunication networks in the country, online services are quite common including gambling operations. However, online gambling has demoralized members of the public and caused losses and sufferings, the statement pointed out.

Licenses for telecom operators and services are being issued in accord with the existing law, rules and instructions. 

The law bans directly or indirectly committing any illegal action including gambling, the statement said. 

Two major cases involving online gambling were exposed in border towns in 2019 and 2020. The operators were arrested together with arms and ammunition.

In the cast that happened in May 2019, more than 180 Chinese citizens living illegally in Tachilek, eastern Shan State, were operating an online gambling business. They were arrested together with arms and ammunition.

Police also confirmed that acting on a tip-off that Chinese citizens staying illegally in the communities of Tachilek Township were engaging in gambling, a combined team of the immigration department, Myanmar Police Force, General Administration Department and other related departments combed three areas where 188 Chinese citizens were captured along with three rifles, mobile phones and some stimulant tablets on May 13.  

Another search of Lucky Motel in Wainkyauk Ward also led to the arrest of 75 Chinese men and four Chinese women together with 164 mobile phones, five walkie-talkies, five laptops and a black Alphard.

At the second place, police entered and searched the house No. 237 in Yan Aung Myay Ward found 38 Chinese men and a woman, nine Myanmar men and a woman. A total of 184 different types of handsets, four walkie-talkies, 11 computers, a white Toyota Hilux Revo vehicle, a black Crown vehicle and a white Parado vehicle were confiscated. At the third place, police searched the house No. 229 in Wainkyauk Ward and found 65 Chinese men and five women. The police seized three M-22 guns, 11 magazines, 325 bullets, 200 different types of handsets, two walkie-talkies, a horse dung-colored Jeep, a white Ford vehicle, three Wave-125 motorcycles, an auto motorcycle, three bulletproof  vests, three guerilla shirts, six guerilla pants and 25 WY tablets.

Also, Chinese nationals were caught gambling online at a hotel in Ward No. 4, Myawady, Kayin State in April 2020.

The Tatmadaw, police, the immigration officials, the border guards and officials jointly arrested them. The authorities had received a tip-off that Chinese nationals were staying at the Emperor Hotel in Ward No. 4, Myawady, and were making online gambling games.

A total of 30 men including a 20 years old Chinese national were detained along with computers and accessories used in gambling.

Online gambling which hit the business community occurred in mid-2017.

The incident involved 132 bank accounts owned by Myanmar nationals out of 349 bank accounts that China has closed to check online gambling.

Since June 15, 2017, China has temporarily closed the bank accounts of Myanmar export-import traders. Regarding the closure of bank accounts, the delegation led by the Union Minister for Commerce started negotiations with the Economic Counsellor of the People's Republic of China. On June 16, 2017, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Myanmar was contacted via phone over the news of further closure of bank accounts and negotiated a solution.

In addition, Myanmar asked the Ruili City Party Committee Secretary and in charge of Ruili City Government Department about the reason to close the accounts of merchants from Myanmar and were notified to reopen the closed accounts of the businessmen as soon as possible. Myanmar negotiated to ensure regular business operations.

On June 18, 2017, a delegation led by Deputy Mayor of Ruili and Myanmar delegation held a meeting in Muse to discuss and China said the illegal transfer of funds was made through online gambling operations in three provinces of China. 349 bank accounts were temporarily closed for inspection at branches in Ruili city due to the operations of depositing and withdrawing money, including 132 bank accounts owned by Myanmar nationals. The deputy mayor said at the time that online gambling was being dealt with directly by China's police headquarters, and the verification of bank accounts was a step-by-step process.

■ Online gambling with good advertising penetration

At the moment, businesses in Myanmar are struggling with bad conditions, but online gambling and websites are gaining speed in social networking site.

On websites where you can watch foreign movies for free, online gambling ads occupy the most advertising space for businesses.

“We see that online gambling has a lot of advertising while other businesses do very little. Not only on the website. Once the movie is downloaded, the advertisement of online gambling comes first,” said a person who watches movies through the website.

Similarly, online gambling businesses are also hiring celebrities on social media.

"Some advertise with celebrities. Some advertise with young girls who are going to be stars. Even some villain actors are included. They spend a lot of money," said an analyst about online gambling.

■ Victims of online gambling

“The rickshaw rider also played online games. At my shop, there are at least 10 people who come to top-up each day. They start adding at least three thousand kyats. There are people who come two or three times a day to come to my shop to make top-up,” said a person running an official money transfer business in a suburban township.

Other business owners are also worried about their employees as online gambling becomes more widespread.

"Especially the salesmen are being closely monitored. They collect money every day, so if they spent it on gambling, we will suffer. I am anxiously watching. Now that the banking system is a little better, some payments have to be made online. But there are times we have to collect money, so we have to be careful," said a businessman in Yangon.

The businessman said that the situation caused problems due to the employees' fraudulent use of money, but at the current time when online gambling is widespread, the employees are being closely monitored.

In addition, Sint Nyi wrote on his social networking site in which he is working to help children to be born and writing literature on social networks, saying that there are people who plan to commit suicide because of online gambling.

"Almost everyone who opens up to me said he is in a lot of trouble and want to kill himself and when I asked why, eight out of 10 people say they are in gambling. There is also a woman with two children who lost her husband as he lost gambling online and committed suicide. There is also an aunty who asked me to write a post informing about gambling because her son made gambling and she had to sell her house to pay the debt. Another one said he is going to kill myself tomorrow morning because he lost money while playing online games and he can't pay it back. He said if you don't believe him, visit his wife's social account tomorrow. You will see my obituary. Please read the letter I sent and give me an advice. He said he had a woman with a big belly and he loved her too. He said in his absence, asked me to help his wife to give birth. I couldn't stand it, so I swore to him. You said you love her and leaving behind the woman you loved, the child he could not even see inside her belly. He decided to commit suicide without the courage. When you die, you think the problems are over. The woman would be left with the child, so I tell him angrily. He told me that he had no complicity because he misappropriated money from the office and played online games and lost. He said I don't do it anymore. What I want to say is that this problem (online gambling) is very bad,” Sint Nyi wrote on his social media page.

■ Online gambling which is still surviving

It must be said that online gambling, which has been gaining momentum since the NLD government, is currently destroying the public with good advertising.

“Online gambling can be prosecuted under the Telecommunications Law as well as under the Gambling Law. During the time of the NLD, it was written in the Gambling Law that you cannot gamble in casinos. Now you can play your favorite gambling online. I want more measures to be taken,” said an advocate who did not want to be named.

At a time when other businesses are finding it difficult to survive due to the rise in fuel prices and rising costs, online gambling, which is said to be immune from the crackdown, is still flourishing.

"Games that can be played on the phone without knowing what the system is and how to run it are already quite scary. Some devices at the border have already run the program. If you cashed in 10,000,000 kyats in a machine, you can command the system to issue 400,000 kyats. One will earn 400,000 kyats once he cashed in 10,000,000 kyats. The person before him played the game and lost 900,000 kyats. Some people who cashed in 100,000 kyats and get back 400,000 kyats will think they are lucky. This is not lucky. It is a program designed to make it. The person who won 400,000 kyats previously went to try his luck again next day. Don't do it. If even a drug addict stops taking narcotic, there is a way to life. The gambler can't. The mindset that I will take back what I lost and if I can win today, will pull them down. A bystander can't make a gambler to stop gambling. If the drug addict goes to jail, there is a possibility that he will lose his addiction to drug. If you love gambling, it will also destroy your family. If only the person himself decided to stop playing for the rest of his life. Do not play games that can be played mainly on the phone. Don't advertise to your friends for receiving a commission from the gambling business," Sint Nyi wrote on his social media page.

It can be said that other businesses have cash flow difficulties, but online gambling is currently operating at a high speed with good financial strength.