Quotable

"My friend helped me with betting on games through the Internet. I'd call my friend and transfer money to him, and he would help me deal with the rest."

Chen, an office worker in Shenzhen, said of gambling on World Cup games. He has already bet 2,000 to 3,000 yuan ($320 to $480) with black market online bookies and plans to gamble more on big upcoming games. Demand for bets from Asian sports enthusiasts highlights an illegal-betting boom, The Associated Press reported.