Gambling in Asia - live and online

With an area of 44.4 million km ² Asia is the largest continent on Earth. More than 4 billion people live here, that is, Asia also has the largest population of all continents.

21 of the 50 most populous countries are located in the continent, which is often referred to in literature as the "Orient". Officially, 47 countries belong to Asia, which originate from very different cultures.

It is therefore no surprise that they also have very different views on gambling in Asia compared to the USA and the best American gambling cities .

Read here in which countries you live and/or Online Casinos can visit.

The diverse continent

From Istanbul to Tokyo, from Moscow to Jakarta, the Asian continent stretches. It is a collection of various traditions, languages and political systems. And it is the origin of ancient advanced cultures such as China, Japan and India.

We owe a lot to these – and other – cultures, for example in the fields of mathematics, medicine, astronomy, written culture, agriculture and politics. But Asia is also the origin of countless games that are still widespread in Europe today.

Chess, Go, even the "escape rooms" that are so popular today come from Asia, and even if poker was originally invented in Europe, today we would have no card games at all without Asia, because even the playing card once came to us from the Far East.

In the following we look at the legal regulations on gambling. If you are planning a trip to one of the countries, read here in advance what awaits you there. Not all Asian countries will be mentioned here.

The countries are arranged in alphabetical order.

China – 1.4 billion inhabitants

In the most populous country on Earth (according to other counts, India has now moved past China), gambling is officially banned. However, you have probably already encountered the stereotype of the betting-crazy Chinese, and since there is a grain of truth in every stereotype, China is now considered the largest market in the world for betting and gambling.

The sad consequence of China's rigid policy is that gambling addiction is more widespread than in countries where gambling is regulated.

Offline: There are no regular casinos in China. In other words, if you are looking for a casino in China, you will automatically end up in Macau. Thanks to its status as a special administrative region, gambling is not only allowed there, but the most important income factor of the region.

Online: Online gambling, on the other hand, is not illegal, at least not completely. There are websites where you can officially play, but these are firmly and completely in the hands of the state lottery authority.

India – 1.3 billion inhabitants

The Hindu-influenced subcontinent has enormous potential when it comes to online gambling.

The legislation is extremely unclear, and there is basically no one who can explain exactly what is allowed and what is not. There is only one state – Maharashtra - where online gambling is officially banned. There is also a state that officially issues licenses. Incidentally, the digital infrastructure is not available everywhere to ensure reliable Internet connections.

The government has the ability to block Internet connections or block payment options. Players respond to this by using eWallets or other rooms. Bets on cricket and horse racing are especially popular, online casinos are enjoying growing popularity. It is expected that India will become more open to the online gaming market in the future, but it is impossible to predict how long the process will take.

Offline : Goa is a kind of hotspot for casinos in India. There are currently six casinos available there. Outside of Goa, there are only two other casinos in India.

Online : Online casinos with foreign licenses are widely used in India. The legal situation is confusing and will remain so in the medium term.

Indonesia – 260 million inhabitants

Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population group in the world. Almost 90% of the inhabitants are of the Muslim faith.

Accordingly, gambling in any form is prohibited by law. The exception is the state lottery. However, Indonesia also consists of 17,000 islands, of which around 6,000 are inhabited.

This makes any law enforcement a logistical challenge, and the police seem to think that there are more important tasks than the criminalization of players, and there are a lot of them in Indonesia.

International online casinos are accessible, and since casino games and sports betting are very popular, the government is hardly doing anything to stop the population from playing online.

Offline : There are no casinos in Indonesia.

Online : Online casinos with international licenses are accessible to players from Indonesia. Playing online is illegal, but is generally tolerated.

Japan – 126 million inhabitants

In Japan, the legislation has been extremely strict in the past when it comes to gambling, but that has changed significantly recently. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that people would like to boost tourism in the Land of the Rising Sun, on the other hand, the strict bans were so unpopular that the government had to face the danger of driving away its own voters. The National Game Pachinko parlors , vaguely reminiscent of pinball machines, is played in specially opened arcades.

Today, Japan is considered one of the the The future markets of Asia. The country is relatively prosperous and densely populated. The potential is accordingly enormous. However, the opening takes place very slowly, one might say, with Asian restraint. Its owner Sheldon Adelson, who, by the way, is taking action against online casinos with a downright religious furor - has already announced investments of 10 billion dollars. The total construction costs are estimated at 50 billion dollars.

Offline : There are still(! there is no casino in Japan. At the time this article was written, there was a plan to issue three casino licenses. Among other things, Caesar's Entertainment and the Las Vegas Sands had already registered interest.

Tokyo, Osaka, Nagasaki and Wagayama are on the table as the location for the planned casino resort.

Online : The state provides betting services for sports betting and lotteries. However, sports bets are only accepted by pari-mutuel. This is a betting system in which the participants bet against each other and not against the bookmaker.

It is illegal to visit international online casinos, but they are not actively blocked by the authorities and violations are rarely punished. Accordingly, online casinos, poker and sports betting providers have become much more popular in the recent past.

Cambodia – 16 million inhabitants

In contrast to many surrounding countries, Cambodia has been trying to profit from the gambling industry for a long time. Gambling is officially offered in casinos. There are more than 75 licenses for online casinos and around the same number of land-based casinos in the country.

However, locals are forbidden to play in these, because officially gambling is illegal. However, gambling in Cambodia is such an important part of the culture that non-gamblers are sometimes considered unmanly. Accordingly, illegal gambling is omnipresent.

Offline : There are several gambling centers in the country, including, of course, the capital Pnomh Penh. From there, the construction of the casino industry is headed.

Online : There is a wide range of online casinos available in Cambodia. The online market is currently in the process of regulation. In the future, Cambodia will be one of the gambling centers in Asia.

Kazakhstan – 18 million inhabitants

In Kazakhstan there are only two land-based casinos, one of them near the old capital Alma Ata, the other further north, about 250km away from Astana. In general, gambling is treated tolerantly. There are even vending machines all over the country where you can place bets.

Offline : The Cashville Casino at the 5* Hotel Rixos Borovoe is the largest casino in the country. International poker tournaments are also held there.

Online : Online gaming is allowed. There are two local providers, but residents also have access to international providers from all over the world.

Macau – 650,000 inhabitants

The Chinese Special Administrative Region of Macau is now the largest center for casinos in the world. The sales exceed those of Las Vegas by many times. Casinos defined the skyline of Macau. 89% of the inhabitants are Chinese, and Macau is the most densely populated area in the world.

Offline : There are around 40 casinos in Macau. Here you will find the largest range of casino games on this planet.

Online : Macau does not award online casino licenses. However, there are also no restrictions for online casinos. In other words, everything is allowed.

Malaysia – 32 million inhabitants

About 60% of the population is Muslim, so you can not just talk about an Islamic country. A quarter of the population is Chinese. Gambling is prohibited, but available.

But it is better not to be caught, because the Muslim forces are gaining influence, and in the recent past the calls for universal implementation of archaic Sharia law have become louder.

Offline : There is exactly one casino in Malaysia. It belongs to the Genting Group and is located in Pahang, not far from the capital Kuala Lumpur. Muslims are not allowed in. The government has decreed that no further casino licenses will be issued until further notice.

Online : Officially, there are no Malay online casinos. Although the Genting Group also offers online casino games, these are not accessible from Malaysia. The government is explicitly against online casinos, but generally does not take action against players. International casinos are quite accessible from Malaysia, and some even offer the domestic currency ringgit as a payment method. There is no legal ban on online casinos.

Philippines – 101 million inhabitants

In the Philippines, the online gaming market is organized and regulated.

The state authority PAGCOR controls all casinos in the country except for the Cagayan Special Economic Zone. Gambling is generally allowed, and online casinos exist both from domestic providers and from the international side.

Due to the well-organized industry, the Philippines is expected to remain the most important growth market in Asia in the near future.

Offline : There are quite a lot of casinos in the Philippines, mainly, of course, in the capital, Manila. Among them are both individual casinos and complete resorts with affiliated hotels and restaurants.

Online : Online casinos and gambling are legal in the Philippines.

Russia – 147 million inhabitants

Since the official closure of all casinos in the country in 2009, there are only four zones in the vast empire where gambling is allowed: Sochi on the Black Sea, Altai, Primorsky in the Far East and the enclave of Kaliningrad.

There are no casino in Moscow , at least not officially. The closure of the casinos has led to a large market of illegal gambling, in which Moscow is a significant part.

Offline : In the above areas there are one to several casinos where you can find all the traditional casino games. Several events of the European Poker Tour have already been held in Sochi.

Online : Online gaming has been banned since 2017. The Russian government is blocking websites that offer online casino games. Poker has a special status, as there is no consensus in Russia on whether it is a game of chance.

Singapore – 6 million inhabitants

The legal situation in the city-state of Singapore has also been confusing for a long time. For several decades, gambling in Singapore was banned in any form.

Offline : In 2005, the ban on land-based casinos was lifted, and the industry reacted with lightning speed. Today, Singapore is already the second largest location for casinos in Asia.

Online : Online gaming was still banned by law in Singapore in 2014. Only two years later, however, the ban was softened, so that since the end of 2016, two state providers have been on the market that are legally allowed to offer casino games and bets.

South Korea – 51 million inhabitants

In South Korea, the legal situation is not always clear. In general, gambling is illegal. It is even so illegal that South Koreans officially commit an offense when playing outside of Korea!

On the other hand, the South Korean government is not averse to easy gains. That's why there are around 15 casinos in South Korea.

Offline : The casinos are open exclusively to foreigners - i.e. mainly tourists. They are just as well equipped as Western casinos, but also have Asian-style games on offer that you will not find in Europe.

Online : Technically, online gaming is not allowed. Actually. However, it is allowed to bet on state-organized horse races, lotteries and sports events. In addition, there are regional provider websites that also address Koreans and on which casino games such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker are also offered in Korean – and of course the mahjong, which is widely used in Asia.

Another option is online casinos that are not located within South Korea. A direct consequence of this is a growing market of Korean casinos based in Thailand, where the legislation is more tolerant.

Taiwan - 23 million inhabitants

In contrast to mainland China, gambling in Taiwan is much more relaxed, at least in terms of online gambling.

Offline : Casinos are highly controversial among the local population. After a referendum in 2018, all plans for casinos were stopped for the time being. A new decision will not be made before 2020, since at least three years must pass between two referendums.

Online : In Taiwan itself, there are hardly any activities in the field of casino and sports betting online. However, international providers are quite popular and are often used. The government does not block access to these providers. Online casinos are generally tolerated.

Thailand – 68 million inhabitants

As in many Asian countries, gambling has a long tradition in Thailand. Today, gambling is strictly regulated, but not prohibited. Domestic offers are limited to horse racing in Bangkok and the nationwide lottery.

Offline : There are no casinos in Thailand, as they are illegal. For this purpose, there are casinos around Thailand, especially in Cambodia, Burma and Laos in close proximity to the border, which were also and especially built for Thai visitors. Some of these casinos have online appearances, so that players can play from home and then pick up their winnings directly on the spot.

Online : Online gaming is a popular pastime in Thailand. The government does not put a stop to this, but allows access to online casinos as long as they have valid licenses in other countries. Online players will not be prosecuted. Rather, the police are focused on combating organized crime.

Vietnam - 95 million inhabitants

Officially, any form of gambling is strictly prohibited in Vietnam, except for the racing events and lotteries that the state offers.

However, since the gambling instinct of the Vietnamese cannot be suppressed by prohibitions, there are countless illegal gambling activities in the country.

In the meantime, it has been recognized that these cannot be controlled and therefore the legislation has been relaxed.

Offline : There are currently seven casinos in Vietnam. More are under construction. They offer classic, but also regional Casio games. Only since 2017, locals have also been allowed in.

Online : International betting operators with licenses abroad are accessible in Vietnam.

Other countries

Strictly Islamic countries place all forms of gambling under sometimes draconian penalties. In some countries, all websites with corresponding content are also blocked. These include: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Brunei, Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates

In some Arab countries, gambling is tolerated with restrictions. Examples: Bangladesh, Pakistan.

Lebanon is a special case of the Arab world. The population is 55% Muslim and 40% Christian. Despite the Muslim majority, there are casinos, for example, in Damascus. Official poker tournaments are even held there regularly. Online gambling is also allowed, and casinos are easily accessible.