Myanmar Police intensify crackdown on illegal gambling
The Myanmar Police Force has intensified its crackdown on illegal online gambling networks, including websites and social media pages that promote gambling.
In a recent statement, police said there was rising public concern over the financial impact of online slot and casino games. As internet access expands, officials have noted a rise in gambling among both adults and young people, prompting renewed enforcement actions.
Authorities said many illegal websites advertise games such as slot machines, fish shooting, dice, live casinos, and regional favourites including Shan Koe Mee, Boo Gyi, and Shwe Ball.
These platforms reportedly entice users with bonuses, free spins, and VIP rewards, but police warned that the games are structured to reduce player winnings over time.
The police added that operators use Myanmar kyats, foreign currencies, and cryptocurrencies for transactions. Domain restrictions can block access to some sites, but users can still bypass controls using VPNs.
According to Eleven Myanmar, since 2023, the police have been working with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Central Bank of Myanmar to shut down payment accounts and platforms.
Additionally, anyone promoting online gambling or renting out their payment accounts for gambling purposes could face prosecution.
At the same time, public awareness campaigns are being conducted through state media to warn citizens about the financial and legal risks of online gambling.
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The Backstory
Why the region is moving now
Authorities across Asia are tightening enforcement against online gambling as digital access expands and cash flows migrate to opaque platforms. Police in Myanmar said they would intensify their crackdown on illegal online gambling networks after rising public concern over the financial toll of slots, live casinos and regional card games promoted on social media. The move follows coordination with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Central Bank of Myanmar to shut payment accounts and platforms since 2023, alongside state media warnings about addiction and fraud risks.
Similar pressure is building in neighboring markets. Thailand’s cyber police moved to dismantle an illegal online casino in Chiang Rai, alleging a site with 9,000 users generated monthly revenue of 5 million baht using automated deposits and on-site withdrawals. In India, Goa police arrested 45 people in an operation against betting agents said to be taking online wagers from hotel rooms during Indian Premier League games, signaling a familiar pattern of seasonal surges and mobile toolkits. The state said the arrests likely captured only a fraction of activity and that agents worked for bookies on international sites, indicating a diffuse network that is difficult to disable midseason. The roundup was detailed in Goa police’s IPL gambling crackdown.
Vietnam is pushing harder at the cross-border nexus. The Ministry of Public Security said it charged 31 people after a joint operation with Laos alleged 1.3 trillion dong in illegal bets, with ring leaders recruiting countrywide teams for marketing, payments and profit splits. Lao police seized phones, computers and live streaming devices used to promote services before handing over most suspects in May. The case, outlined in Vietnam’s cross-border illegal gambling crackdown, shows how police now target upstream operations, not only street-level agents.
How the networks adapted
The most resilient gambling outfits do not rely on one jurisdiction, currency or payment rail. Myanmar’s police said operators accept kyat, foreign currencies and crypto, and users can bypass domain blocks with VPNs. Thai investigators described domestic bank accounts connected to automated deposits and direct on-site withdrawals, which helped the site mimic the convenience of licensed platforms while evading traditional merchant oversight. In Goa, agents allegedly perched in hotel rooms to capture live IPL betting momentum, suggesting mobile hubs built to move as fast as games do.
Marketing is a common thread. Myanmar officials warned of bonuses, free spins and VIP rewards designed to reduce net player winnings over time. Vietnamese police said the ring tracked weekly profit and loss and maintained staff payrolls, emphasizing a call center ethos behind the storefront websites. The seized live streaming gear in Laos points to social video as a funnel for new bettors and as a real-time trust signal that keeps customers placing rapid wagers.
These tactics stretch enforcement capacity because they blur the line between advertising and operations and because the financial plumbing can be rebuilt quickly. That is pushing regulators to expand their definition of what constitutes illegal facilitation and who can be held liable.
Japan’s legal turn on icasinos
Japan is codifying that shift. The National Police Agency began requesting removal of icasino sites and related ads aimed at Japanese users as part of a nationwide crackdown tied to a revised gambling addiction law that takes effect Sept. 25. The NPA said it would target sites and promotions that solicit Japanese players even if the operators are licensed abroad. It also signaled potential changes at the Internet Hotline Center so that illegal igaming content is formally within the watchdog’s scope, including so-called free games that route users to casinos.
Enforcers have begun testing where promotional liability ends. Gifu Prefectural Police filed the country’s first case against an affiliate operation, charging two men accused of facilitating 70 billion yen in wagers by directing customers to a Curacao casino and collecting commissions based on total bets. The affiliate allegedly ran a website promising “winning strategies” and managed a Discord group with a few hundred users. The case, detailed in Japan’s first crackdown on an online casino affiliate site, underlines how advertising channels can become the primary target when offshore operators are hard to reach. It also frames addiction as a public health risk, not only a criminal count, which gives police wider backing to act on promotions and tutorials.
Japan’s approach matters beyond its borders. Takedown requests to overseas hosts and ad networks can reduce visibility that fuels cross-border rings. It also pressures global platforms to tighten compliance when content is clearly tailored to a domestic audience.
Cross-border money and seasonal spikes
The Vietnam-Laos case highlights how operations disperse critical functions to avoid a single point of failure. Authorities allege the network covered the full stack from customer acquisition and risk monitoring to salary payments and profit distribution. The arrest of suspects across both countries, with a handover on May 19, shows the importance of bilateral procedures that allow swift custody transfers and data sharing.
In India, the IPL creates a distinct calendar of risk. Goa’s arrests during the league point to a surge in live betting liquidity that attracts both new bettors and new agents. Because casino gambling is legal in Goa but sports betting is not, illegal agents exploit a permissive hospitality environment while pursuing a prohibited product. The friction between those rules can create opportunities for money laundering as winnings are recycled into legal casino play, a pattern local police suggested when describing how profits become part of a “flamboyant lifestyle.” The IPL window also compresses investigative timelines, forcing police to risk partial busts that may tip off ringleaders.
Myanmar and Thailand, meanwhile, show how borders are porous for personnel. Thai police said the Chiang Rai administrator previously worked for a Myanmar operation, reflecting a labor market for back-end roles that can hop jurisdictions as sites rebrand or relocate.
What is at stake for platforms and regulators
The push to criminalize advertising, not just bets, carries broad implications for search engines, hosting providers and social media. Japan’s plan to flag igaming to the Internet Hotline Center, Myanmar’s coordination with telecom and banking authorities, and Vietnam’s use of live streaming seizures all move the line of responsibility closer to distribution channels. If police can demonstrate that tutorials, VIP schemes or tip groups constitute inducement, then affiliates and influencers face the same risk profile as operators.
For regulators, the challenge is speed and scale. VPNs, multicurrency wallets and pop-up domains reduce the impact of single-site takedowns. That favors joint operations and real-time payment interdiction, as seen in Vietnam and Myanmar. It also argues for clearer rules that allow targeted ad removals without waiting for lengthy court orders, coupled with public messaging that counters get-rich narratives. Myanmar’s state media campaign is a template, but it must be paired with visible financial blocks to have teeth.
The stakes are financial stability and consumer safety. Unlicensed sportsbooks and casinos may not honor withdrawals, encourage binge betting and push users toward riskier payment methods. As countries tighten casinos or bet on integrated resorts, illegal online markets can siphon demand and undermine tax bases. The current wave of enforcement — from Myanmar’s platform and payment squeeze to Japan’s ad takedown push and Vietnam’s cross-border busts — shows a region trying to close those gaps before the next season of major sports and holiday travel restarts the cycle.
