Online gambling in Asia: countries with legal casino and betting markets

Asia — home to many developed economies and 60% of the world’s population — is always a topic of interest for international gambling operators. Add to this a lightning-fast rate of digital technology adoption, and you get a continent full of opportunities. However, strict regulations and conservative governments make it a challenging landscape for operators to navigate.

While many Asian nations ban gambling, or at least heavily restrict it, there’s no denying the power of culture. From Georgia and Armenia to China and the Philippines, players will place their bets no matter what the laws are.

Technically savvy populations use VPNs to access foreign online gambling platforms, and widespread cryptocurrency ownership allows players to gamble despite limitations on bank transactions. This, and the fact that some governments are discussing, planning, or already implementing proper gambling regulation, makes the continent well worth operators’ attention.

For a clearer picture of the Asian gambling landscape, the region can be divided into groups by regulatory status, as well as the volume and quality of traffic based on players’ behavior and spending power. Here, we will provide a breakdown by sub-regions. This article will provide information about the most relevant countries for the iGaming sector research.

Gambling in Western Asia

Armenia

The Armenian gambling market is big — the online gambling market revenue is projected to reach $25.42 million in 2024, and the volume is expected to grow to $32.64 million by 2029. But while local players are more active than in many large gambling markets of the world, the government is unswayed by the level of demand.

Armenia is politically and economically intertwined with both Russia and the EU (Armenia, together with Georgia, is considered European as per EU neighborhood policy and has been a member of the EU Eastern Partnership since 2009). This country, located in the South Caucasus, has a regulated gambling market, and the government has been moving in the direction of increased regulation in the last couple of years.

The first step was an advertising restriction banning TV and internet advertising — with a few exceptions — and other measures soon followed.

Several amendments to the tax code were introduced in 2019 to compensate for the overall loss of government revenue with increased tax rates for alcohol, tobacco, and gambling enterprises.

The government also made clear its intention to limit or restrict bookmakers, which caused a wave of protests in the industry. Similar to Russia and Kazakhstan, special gambling zones were to be created in the towns of Tsaghkadzor, Sevan, Jermuk, and Meghri. The effort seems to be driven by an idea to shift the gambling industry towards mainly catering to tourists and foreigners while decreasing the Armenian public’s access to casinos and sports betting shops.

Eventually, the Armenian government's attitudes and requirements for regulating the gambling sector were reflected in legislation. In 2022, new legislation was introduced to impose restrictions on all forms of gambling advertising. This led to a ban on such promotions across various platforms, including the internet, television, radio, and public spaces. Furthermore, starting from July 1, 2023, a new law came into effect, raising the costs of fees and licenses for betting companies and online casinos.

However, in February 2024, the government introduced a draft law regulating business in the gambling sector and defining state control. The Chairman of the RA State Revenue Committee (SRC) Rustam Badasyan commented:

All the measures mentioned above limit players’ opportunities, but foreign platforms still accept Armenian players.

Azerbaijan

Gambling in Azerbaijan is all but illegal. Even though the majority of the population is secular, the government is concerned with the possibility of problem gambling spreading in the country. Azerbaijani players have a strong interest in betting and frequently visit foreign websites that are happy to localize their content for them. Besides, there is a little legal local offer.

There are two legal gambling verticals in Azerbaijan: lotteries run by a state company Azerloterya Open Joint Stock Company, and sports betting organized by a single authorized company monopolist Topaz.

Azerbaijanis like football, basketball, and hockey, but also sports particular to other regions, such as American and Australian football, and even the Finnish version of baseball — Pessapolo. Chess is another one of the most popular sports. Topaz also offers bets on floorball, futsal, and almost anything else you could think of, including esports.

Georgia

The gambling industry in Georgia has long been legal and enjoyed relatively few restrictions. Operators must have a local license, but the regulations are not as strict as those in many other countries in the region.

Georgia’s gambling sector spread its wings in the early 2000s, thanks to a set of liberalizing economic reforms. Loosened regulations, low taxes, and a streamlined license acquisition process created favorable conditions for the industry's expansion. Taking advantage of the demand from nearby Turkey, where gambling is prohibited, the town of Batumi on the Black Sea has become a hub for casinos.

However, the real gambling boom came during the COVID-19 period, when people shifted to online games. Despite the pandemic-related shutdowns of land-based slot machines, the gambling sector managed to achieve a remarkable 23% growth compared to the previous year, thanks to the diverse array of activities offered by online casinos and sports betting. It should be noted, however, that these two halves of the industry are driven by the same operators — only holders of land-based licenses can offer online games and bets.

Although tourism is considered the main source of gambling revenues in Georgia, locals gamble nearly as much as tourists — if not more. Gambling addiction is seen as a real social plague in Georgia, and extensive studies have documented the concerning issue of gambling addiction among minors. These issues have made their impact on Georgian legislation.

Despite the national love for sports and cultural acceptance of gambling, Georgia faced some serious changes in the gambling legislation in 2022, and even stricter changes in 2023.

First, a law banning individuals under 25, public employees, socially vulnerable people, and self-excluded users from playing entered into force. Then, gambling advertisements in public media (TV and official websites) were banned, and the tax base was raised to 65-70%. The Law "On Payment System and Payment Services" has also been amended to include articles prohibiting Georgian payment service providers from taking payments from any foreign casino or sportsbook company.

Operators will also have to pay GEL 100,000 ($36,974) for every game they offer. The restrictions introduced are made to demonstrate the country's commitment to meeting the European Council’s 12-point conditions necessary to gain EU candidate status.

Even though these changes made running a gambling business more difficult in Georgia, there are still 12 licensed companies which are authorized to operate online platforms. Available betting products include betting, gaming machines, land-based casinos, and the lottery, which is a state monopoly.

Georgian players also visit foreign online casinos and bookmaker platforms and gamble using cryptocurrency.

Turkey

Turkey, officially secular but predominantly Muslim, forbids any forms of gambling except for those it itself offers: the state-owned Turkey Wealth Fund obtained a license for 49 years and is allowed to offer games of chance (Sisal Şans), betting (Spor Toto), and horse racing (Turkey Jockey Club) services to the local citizens.

The government attempts to block bank transactions and websites connected to offshore gambling brands, illegal gambling operators are prosecuted in the country, and players can also be fined. However, Turkish people have a strong will to play, and — as is common throughout the whole region — use cryptocurrency (47% of Turkish respondents to one survey own some form of cryptocurrency) and VPNs to access foreign online platforms, specially localized for them.

Gambling in Central Asia

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s sizable Russian-speaking population ties the former Soviet country to its northern neighbor — the Russian Federation.

The gambling laws in these two countries are also very similar: casinos and slot machines are legal in a limited capacity, confined to the special gambling zones of Kapchagay and Shchuchinsk. The online market isn’t altogether outlawed, but it’s not part of the licensing framework. Effectively, this means that there is no legal way to launch an online casino in Kazakhstan, but it’s not against the law to play on a foreign site.

Previously, neither sports betting nor parimutuel betting were restricted to the designated gambling zones (another similarity with the Russian legislation), but starting from January 4, 2021, this has changed. Recent amendments to Law No. 356-VI entered into force, moving the bookmakers to the designated zones, and introducing the unified registration center for bets that all of the wagers must go through.

While heavily restricted, the fact that gambling is legal at all sets Kazakhstan apart from neighboring Central Asian countries like Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, all of which prohibit gambling completely. This positions Kazakhstan as a gambling oasis in the midst of other Muslim countries where there is demand, but no supply.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is aware of potential income from the gambling industry and its influence on tourism and is experimenting with limited regulation. The bill “On Gambling in the Kyrgyz Republic” suggesting legalization of gambling establishments and online gambling land-based zones, passed in 2022.

Land-based casinos must be located in hotel and restaurants, slot halls must be located in separate buildings and must contain at least 30 slot machines.

Only foreign citizens are allowed to play in new casinos, and locals enjoy a huge black market. They like football, wrestling, boxing, ice hockey, and horse racing. There’s also a growing interest in rugby.

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is another CIS country that became more interesting for gambling operators when Russia was cut off from international payment systems. Even though Uzbekistan is a Muslim country, it is a growing gambling market.

There were attempts to regulate the industry in 2022, but opinions were divided, and they failed, and the only legal vertical now is a state-owned lottery. Local players turned to offshore platforms.

This didn’t become a problem taking into account that Uzbek citizens can legally trade on cryptocurrency platforms, and they use a lot of social networks, including Telegram.

Gambling in South Asia

India

As India has a federal system of government, gambling regulations used to be completely in the hands of individual states. The result was that some states regulated all or some forms of gambling while others banned it completely.

Land-based casinos are allowed in Goa and Sikkim, which also regulates online gaming, sports betting, and horse racing; Nagaland permits online skill games; and the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana explicitly prohibit online casino gaming. In all others, it is unregulated (except those in which casino gaming is officially regulated). Lotteries are subject to state monopoly.

However, 2023 brought some significant changes to this system when the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, introduced a new Finance Bill, and created a legal framework for “self-regulatory bodies.” The self-regulatory bodies consisted of companies with domain expertise and representatives in the fields of education, mental health, and the protection of child rights.

This step is a big change in the Indian gambling market — it is the first federal-level regulation that aims to provide players with data and money security by defining two types of allowed gambling operations: online games for prizes, but not real money (permissible online games) and online games for real money that have to be verified by the self-regulatory body (permissible online real-money games).

Gambling operators (“Online Gaming Intermediaries”) have to make sure their content is verified by the self-regulatory bodies before it’s accessed by the local players.

However, some states used the opportunity to self-regulate gambling to ban it — the state of Maharashtra, for example, banned gambling by repealing the act determining licensing requirements.

Another obstacle online operators faced is an increased tax, a very unwelcome 28% of GGR, not to mention the suggestion from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ban all gambling advertising.

Indian players love sports betting, with cricket being a particular favorite. Casino games such as Andar Bahar and Teen Patti are very popular, as are card games like poker and rummy.

Bangladesh

“Is gambling legal in Bangladesh?” is a popular question. The answer is Bangladeshi laws ban all forms of gambling.

When the Public Gambling Act of 1867 entered into force, all forms of gambling became illegal in the country with the exception of horse race betting, conducted by authorized entities and controlled by the Bangladesh Race Control Authority (BRCA), and…online gambling.

The ban was enacted long before the internet even existed, and no other additional restrictions were provided. Therefore, the Bangladeshi online gambling market can be considered a gray area.

Technical development and the absence of legal local options drove the playing population of Bangladesh to the offshore online casino and sportsbook offer — out of over 168 million citizens, 39% of the population are connected to the internet, and more than 182 million Bangladeshis use mobile phones. The Bangladesh gambling market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% between 2020 and 2026.

Gambling in East Asia

China

China’s online gambling market is strict — gambling in the country is illegal, and the only exceptions are the two state-run lotteries: the Welfare Lottery and the Sports Lottery. However, Chinese nationals can gamble in two special administrative regions of the People’s Republic, Macau and Hong Kong. The Chinese government’s staunchly anti-gambling stance has had a profound influence far beyond the country’s borders, with nearby countries often targeting Chinese tourists with their land-based casinos.

Despite the restrictions, however, Chinese players are famously happy to visit offshore platforms, particularly enjoying Chinese-speaking live dealer games based in the Philippines.

Macau

A former Portuguese colony, Macau is often called “the Las Vegas of Asia,” and its 41 casinos, millions of tourists, and countless neon lights seem to fully justify the moniker. Unlike Vegas, Macanese establishments focus on attracting high-stakes professional gamblers rather than casual players.

Despite its status as a legendary gambling destination, online casinos are banned on the island, with the local regulatory agency issuing a public warning in 2015.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is the other special administrative region of China, enjoying a relatively high degree of autonomy. Gambling is legal, but strictly regulated. All forms of betting are under the monopoly of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, while casino gaming is restricted to dedicated cruise ships — and even there, only when outside the island’s territorial waters.

Online casinos remain illegal, and the government is known to take action against black market operators.

South Korea

South Korea’s online gambling market is subject to stringent regulations. Online gambling is outright banned, while land-based establishments are only open to foreign nationals, with the sole exception of Kangwon Land.The legal framework regarding gambling is simple: unless it’s expressly permitted, it’s illegal. Aside from the aforementioned land-based casinos, the only forms of gambling allowed are the lottery and betting on horse racing and bullfighting — and all are subject to monopoly.

Illegal gambling — and betting — is punishable with fines and prison sentences; websites targeting South Korean players get blacklisted, and their bank transactions are swiftly blocked.

Japan

Japan’s online gambling market has strict rules. Japanese law considers gambling an offense and defines it as “an act of betting property or assets on the outcome of a contest of chance.” Horse racing, motorsports, mahjong, pachinko, and state lottery are the only allowed verticals, but foreign online casinos accept Japanese players.

The casino gaming gap is plugged by the citizens’ love of pachinko, a pinball-type game that dances around the definition of gambling by offering prizes instead of money.

Nevertheless, things began to change in 2018, when the country legalized casinos in the form of “integrated resorts”. In 2021, the newly-formed Japan Casino Regulatory Commission published regulations enforcing the Specified Integrated Resort Area Development Law, providing rules and criteria for establishing casinos.

Regardless of the law, however, Japanese citizens are extremely interested in betting on offshore platforms that are properly localized, and the government applies only minimal effort to stop them.

Gambling in Southeast Asia

Vietnam

Vietnam has strict regulations, and for decades all forms of gambling were completely banned. The tide, however, seems to have turned in 2018, with the legalization of betting on football, horse racing, and greyhound racing and the opening of casinos reserved to holders of foreign passports. Furthermore, the government launched a pilot project to allow locals in casinos, provided they earn a minimum of $445 per month, have no criminal record, and obtain the permission of their family.

Philippines

The Philippines have an interesting regulatory system: licenses and control over gambling operations are handled by two organizations, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA). PAGCOR takes care of the licensing process for bingo houses, betting shops, cardrooms, and land-based casinos, while CEZA issues licenses to online gambling operators — which, however, are not allowed to offer their services within the country.

Surprisingly, though, it’s not illegal for foreign operators to offer iGaming services to Filipino citizens, as it’s not expressly prohibited by any piece of legislation. Additional confusion comes from the fact that PAGCOR began offering Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator licenses (or POGOs), which provide an alternative to CEZA. They are not allowed to offer their services to the local citizens; their main audience comes from neighboring China.

Operators holding CEZA licenses have to pay a gaming levy based on their gross gaming revenues (GGR). PAGCOR licenses are valid for three years, and operators holding one (including POGOs) are only subject to a 5% tax on their turnover.

Singapore

For many years, gambling in Singapore was limited to the offer of publicly-owned operators — Singapore Pools for lottery-type games and the Singapore Turf Club for horse racing and sports betting.

As in many other countries in the region, private casinos were prohibited; however, this began to change in 2005. After a period of consideration, the government lifted the ban and allowed casinos to operate within integrated resorts, with an entry fee of SGD 150 introduced to discourage problem gambling. Currently, the number of licenses available is capped at two, with one each taken by Marina Bay Sands Casino and Resorts World Sentosa Casino, creating a duopoly. Locals have to pay a fee to enter these casinos.

Online gambling is prohibited, except for services provided by the aforementioned public operators, the National Heritage Board, and the Singapore Sports Council.

Penalties for both black market players and operators are harsh, with steep monetary fines (up to SGD 5,000 and SGD 500,000 respectively) and jail sentences (up to six months for players and seven years for operators) to boot. Furthermore, in 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs established a Gambling Regulatory Authority to enforce stricter oversight on the industry, and harsher punishments are currently being discussed. However, players still use VPNs to access foreign platforms, an extremely common practice in Asian markets.

Malaysia

As a predominantly Islamic country, Malaysia bans both land-based and online gambling. However, there is one licensed land-based casino, and no clear regulation of online operations, which makes all the government’s attempts to block bank transactions and seize assets of people connected to gambling difficult.

Blanket bans

Due to traditional or religious views, many countries in Asia view gambling in a negative light and don’t allow any games of chance to be played. Countries like Thailand, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Brunei, and Indonesia maintain such a blanket ban on gambling (though Thailand is considering a move towards regulation in the form of integrated casino resorts).

Other countries like East Timor, Bhutan, and Mongolia ban land-based activities, but have no regulations in place regarding online gambling.

While many countries don’t allow locals to play, people still can (and do) travel to gamble in the neighboring countries. That’s why most land-based casinos accept foreign players, and most online platforms localize their websites and offers for target markets.

The future of Asian gambling markets

The rising awareness of player protection measures and potential value of the industry in terms of state revenues caused a noticeable shift in attitudes in many countries, opening the door to legalization where only a decade prior it would have been out of the question.

As things stand, liberalization following an example of the western and Latin American countries, at least for now, is primarily limited to the land-based industry and focused on tourism.

General trends

Asia is a region of contrast and a vast variety of cultures — and this includes different attitudes to gambling activities. Muslim countries are vehemently opposed to playing for money or prizes, while their neighbors have long traditions of gambling and even favorite games that have been played for generations.

Either way, people gamble. They find more sophisticated ways to do so in places where it’s forbidden: cryptocurrencies are extremely widespread in every region of Asia, as well as VPNs and simply traveling to countries where gambling is legal.

We recommend localizing your website and gaming content to the language of your target audience and offering your clients payment methods that suit their needs and requirements. Besides the classic payment cards, Asian players will expect e-wallets like ePay, Trustly, Neteller, Skrill, and various cryptocurrencies.

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