People caught placing bets on World Cup matches face a maximum one-year prison sentence and a fine under laws that make gambling illegal, Peng Ang Lee, director of the police criminal investigation department, was quoted as saying by Brunei's Borneo Bulletin newspaper.

Authorities in this tiny, oil-rich sultanate on Borneo island will also fan out across coffee shops and outdoor restaurants to arrest "undesirable elements that turn wild, creating noise or bringing alcoholic drinks to watch the matches," the daily reported.

Some outlets have reportedly set up big-screen televisions and projectors to lure crowds for live, late-night telecasts of the matches broadcast from Germany.

During the 2002 World Cup, police in Brunei made no betting-related arrests, Peng said, urging members of the public to alert authorities if they notice any gambling activities.

Islam is the official religion in this nation of some 375,000 people. Gambling and the sale and public consumption of alcohol are banned, and pubs and nightclubs are virtually nonexistent