Gearing up for 2018 FIFA Cup
Myanmar government officials have issued a stern warning to private telecom firms that illegal online gaming operations will not be tolerated.
According to CalvinAyre.com, the Ministry of Transport and Communication’s Department of Post and Telecommunications issued a statement informing all telecom firms “if they break the rules, they will be shut down” with no advance warning.
The government is bracing for an uptick in online sports betting when the 2018 FIFA World Cup starts this month. But the warning, signed by DPT Director-General Soe Thein, also expressed concern about other types of online gambling including the local poker game shan koe mee.
Mobile operators and Network Facilities Service license-holders were warned that they must be proactive in stemming the online activity. The telecoms will be punished whether their involvement with illegal gambling is “direct or indirect,” CalvinAyre.com reported.
Myanmar bans online gambling except the state-run Aungbarlay Lottery.
