Even with authorities' strong opposition to the industry, and concerted attempts to make it illegal, online gambling has grown to become a multimillion kyat business among Burma's elite.
The country's bookmakers have lived with the threat of hefty legal penalties to cater to a growing number of Burmese bettors who want to enjoy football and gambling simultaneously. Online bookmakers have also smoothed over stumbling blocks such as the lack of a credit card system by carrying out cash-only operations.
Mandalay bookmaker Aung Ko told the country's Irrawaddy newspaper that roughly 20 regular customers place bets with him worth 80 million kyat (US $62,400) on a weekly basis. The minimum accepted by the bookmaker is 100,000 kyat (about $90).
Aung Ko confimed that he is one of a minimum of four Mandalay bookmakers operating their businesses over the Internet. “My business has made me very rich in a short period,” he said.