It turns out that border towns of Myanmar and the unregulated gambling business there is being dominated by Chinese gamblers. The second biggest border trading zone of the country is attracting more Chinese investments and workers, with the land on the banks of the Moei River being cleared as part of the area’s urban expansion.
Myawaddy New City project was unveiled to be situated on a 543-acre site with a joint venture involving the Chit Linn Myaing company, which has been known as property of a powerful ethnic armed group called Border Guard Force since it was given the green light by the regional government in late 2018.
In the last few years, the area has become increasingly attractive to investors due to its strategic location.
The government has also unveiled plans for further development of the area into an economic zone that will be used as a connection between the two port cities of Myanmar and Vietnam. It was exactly the urban expansion in the country that has turned the banks of the Moei River into the second-largest border trading zone of the country, which is witnessing a growing number of investments in the lower prices of the land and the highly-unregulated gambling sector of the country.
At Least 17 Casinos Operate Along the Moei River and Involve Chinese Investments
The strategic location of the border area has been attracting businesses from other Asian countries, such as China, but unfortunately, some of these investments have turned Myawaddy into a place for controversial businesses, some of which associated with the above-mentioned armed groups or criminal organizations.
According to local lawmakers, there are currently no less than 17 casino venues along the Moei River that are jointly operated by Chinese investors and armed groups. A lower house lawmaker originating from Myawaddy township, Sein Bo, confirmed that all of those casinos were illegal, which also means they remain unregulated and untaxed by the country’s authorities.
The lawmaker further noted that only illegal businesses, including land-based casinos and online gambling operators, could afford to pay the constantly increasing land prices in Myawaddy. As he explained for a local news agency, the increasing land prices related to the soaring number of gambling businesses in the region.
An influx of Chinese people, residents from other parts of the country, and people from neighboring countries such as Laos and Cambodia, has been registered because of the growing number of illegal businesses, including casinos and online gambling. According to official data, there are only 5,800 foreign nationals in the township of Myawaddy but lawmaker Sein Bo claims that the actual number is probably much higher. He explained that the influx of Chinese investments and workers likely led to tens of thousands of Chinese people coming to the town.
These claims have been confirmed by an officer at the Special Investigation unit operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The officer reported that more than 5,000 Chinese workers are employed by a cross-river trade gate offering online gambling services, which was under the control of the Border Guard Force. He further noted there were several such “trade gates” along the bank of the Moei River, so the actual number of Chinese people working in illegal gambling operations could be at least 10,000.
