Online gambling in Asia: overview of legal markets and opportunities

Asia is home to many developed economies and 60% of the world’s population — so it 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 regardless of the laws.

Technology savvy populations use VPNs to access foreign online gambling platforms in Asia, 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 an operator’s 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 player behavior and spending power. Here, we will provide a breakdown by sub-regions. This article will provide information on the most relevant countries for iGaming research.

Gambling in Western Asia

Armenia

The Armenian gambling market is big — according to Statista, the total gambling market revenue is just under $205.2 million, an 11% increase compared to 2024. The online-only slice of the market was estimated to be worth $10 million in 2024, with an expected volume of $32.64 million by 2029 and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.13%.

But while local players are increasingly embracing the gambling market and various opportunities presented by it, the government remains unswayed by the level of demand.

Armenia, together with Georgia, is considered European as per European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) 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 a marketing ban that affected TV and internet advertising — with a few exceptions — then other measures soon followed. On July 1, 2025, there was a new 10% tax on turnover applied to all gambling activity that came into effect. The government also made it clear that it intended to limit or restrict bookmakers, which caused a wave of protests across 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 Asian sports betting shops.

Eventually, the Armenian government's attitudes and requirements for regulating the gambling sector were reflected in legislation. In 2022, a new bill 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, online licensing fees were doubled on April 1, 2025, with further annual increases expected through to 2028.

At the time of writing, a new comprehensive law is under development and could be introduced as early as late-2026. The gambling regulatory body is expected to be officially announced by the Ministry of Finance in the near future.

Azerbaijan

The gambling market in Azerbaijan is regulated by the Ministry of Taxes, with strict oversight to ensure that only licensed operators offer their services in the country. Licensed domestic betting has proven very popular with the locals. According to iGamingToday, the online gaming market revenue hit $10.04 million in 2025, with 9.2% CAGR estimated for 2025-2031. Even though the majority of the population is secular, the government is still concerned with the possibility of problem gambling spreading across the country. In terms of online play, Azerbaijani players frequently visit foreign websites that are happy to localize their content for them. This is likely because there is very little in the way of legal local online platforms.

There are two legal gambling verticals in Azerbaijan: state-run lotteries organized by Azerloterya Open Joint Stock Company (OJSC), and sports betting organized by the only legally licensed betting company, Topaz.

People in Azerbaijan enjoy watching and wagering on football, basketball, and hockey, but also sports particular to other regions, such as American and Australian football, and even the Finnish version of baseball — Pesäpallo. Chess is another one of the most popular sports. Topaz offers bets on a variety of markets, including 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. According to iGamingToday, the online gambling revenue in 2025 was $204.34 million with 7.8% CAGR (2025-2031). The number of active users is expected to reach around 364,800 people by 2029.

Georgia’s gambling sector spread its wings in the early 2000s, thanks to a set of liberalizing economic reforms. Relaxed regulations, low taxes and a streamlined license acquisition process created favorable conditions for the industry to expand. 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 gaming. Despite the pandemic shutting down access to land-based venues and 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. Although tourism is considered the main source of gambling revenues in Georgia, locals gamble nearly just 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 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 came into force. Then, gambling advertisements in public media (TV and official websites) were banned, and the tax base was raised to 65-70%. The On Payment System and Payment Services law has also been amended to include articles prohibiting Georgian payment service providers from taking payments from any foreign casino online Asia and other continents can offer. A crucial regulatory reversal took place in 2024-2025, making Georgia one of the strictest jurisdictions for its residents. The expanded exclusion regime made gambling an illegal activity for around 50% of the adult population.

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 apart from a few state-run exceptions. Land-based casinos have been officially prohibited since 1998 and there is no local online casino licensing framework. The two state monopolies are Millî Piyango (lottery) and Idda (sports betting), and they are available both in-store and online. Grand View Research estimated the gambling market in Türkiye to be $1.17 million in 2025, with an estimated amount of $2.08 million in 2033, forecasting 7.5% CAGR.

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 (one survey found that 47% of Turkish respondents own some form of cryptocurrency) and VPNs to access foreign online platforms localized specifically for them.

Gambling in Central Asia

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s total gambling market, according to Statista, was $1.36 billion in 2025 and could hit $1.48 billion by 2030 with a 1.65% CAGR.

The market is regulated by the Committee for the Regulation of Gambling and Lottery Activities under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The gambling exclusion register has slowly grown over time to include more categories and demographics of the population. More than 10,000 websites have been added to the blocking list since 2024. Both of these reflect a steady trend of the gambling industry becoming more restricted in the country.

While heavily restricted, the fact that gambling is legal at all sets Kazakhstan apart from other neighboring Central Asian countries. This positions Kazakhstan as a gambling oasis in the midst of other Muslim jurisdictions where there is demand, but no supply.

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is another Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) country that became more interesting for gambling operators after Russia was cut off from international payment systems. Even though Uzbekistan is a Muslim country, it has a growing gambling market. There has been no quantified market-size forecast so far, but the estimated average revenue per user (ARPU) is around $1,800 per month for online casino platforms and $1,500 per month for sports betting websites.

There were attempts to regulate the industry in 2022, but opinions were divided. Local players turned to offshore platforms. A comprehensive regulatory change took effect on January 1, 2025, transforming the market from an unregulated environment into a fully licensed market overseen by the National Agency for Prospective Projects (NAPP). The minimum financial requirements for prospective operators is now $4.4 million in authorized capital, and $2.2 million in reserve funds. The tax system is simple – operators are obliged to pay a 4% duty on revenue (after payouts). Gaming software should be certified, and players must undergo a verification process. All activity should be monitored through a centralized system. The market of Uzbekistan can be described as a brand new legal opportunity, as it successfully underwent a transformation from being a grey area into one with a regulated framework and proper taxation system.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is aware of the potential income from the gambling industry and its influence on tourism and is experimenting with limited regulation. Statista reports the country's online gambling revenue as $48.58 million in 2024, expecting it to hit $59.41 million by 2028 with a 5.16% CAGR. iGamingToday featured total gambling market revenue (including land-based casinos) as $113.35 million in 2025. The On Gambling in the Kyrgyz Republic Bill passed in 2022 and supported the legalization of gambling establishments and online gambling land-based zones. Regulation now welcomes foreign operators and touristic venues.

Land-based casinos must be located in hotels and restaurants. Slot halls must be located in separate buildings and must contain at least 30 slot machines. Online casino license fees run up to $1.1 million, while the GDR per capita is around $1.370. This mismatch can be quite challenging for many operators targeting the Kyrgyzstan gambling market.

Only foreign citizens or tourists are allowed to play in new casinos, while locals are left with the growing black market. Popular markets for betting include football, wrestling, boxing, ice hockey and horse racing. There is also a growing interest in rugby.

Gambling in South Asia

Online gambling India

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

According to Mordor Intelligence data (prior to the ban), the gambling market in India was estimated to be worth $4.04 billion in 2025, with a growth potential of $8.36 billion by 2030. Online gaming revenue was $3.8 billion in 2024.

On August 21, 2025, India passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act and banned all real-money online games. By May 1, 2026, a new central regulator was introduced to separate prohibited real-money games from permitted e-sports or social gaming activities. Penalties include imprisonment of up to three years (five years in case of repeated offense) and massive fines.

Is gambling legal in Bangladesh?

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).

For a long time, the online space existed in a grey area. But on June 30, 2026, Bangladesh approved the sweeping new legislation that replaced the colonial-era Public Gambling Act of 1867 with the Gambling Prevention Bill, 2026. Under this new law, online gambling has been officially defined and banned in the country.

A combination of technological developments and the absence of legal local options have driven Bangladesh's playing population to the offshore casino online Asia offers — out of over 168 million people living in Bangladesh, 47% of the population are connected to the internet, and more than 136 million citizens use mobile phones.

Gambling in East Asia Pacific

Is gambling legal in China?

China’s online gambling market is strict — gambling in the country is illegal under the Criminal Law of the PRC, and the only exceptions are the two state-run lotteries: the Welfare Lottery and the Sports Lottery. Both are monopolies. However, Chinese nationals can gamble in two special administrative regions of the People’s Republic, those being 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 20 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.

According to Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ, established in 2023), the GGR was $30.9 billion in 2025 (9.1% growth from 2024). Gaming tax alone (40% of GGR) made up 82.7% of the entire public revenue in fiscal 2025 in Macau.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is the other special administrative region of China that enjoys 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 (HKJC), while casino gaming is restricted to dedicated cruise ships — and even there, they can only operate once outside the island’s territorial waters.

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

In the period between September 2025 and July 2026, the turnover from horse racing was $18.3 billion (HK$143.3 billion). Combined wagering and Mark Six lottery turnover generated $41.1 billion (HK$320.3 billion). Football betting resulted in $22.2 billion (HK$172.8 billion). The HKJC’s legal monopoly is also dramatically expanding. Despite a recent halt in the legislature, Hong Kong still expects to introduce betting on basketball games in the near future, which will be the first product added to the existing system in years. The unique model of gambling shows fascinating results – around 73% of betting and lottery revenue is returned to Hong Kong through taxes, charities and donations. It makes it outstandingly beneficial for the country.

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 a monopoly.

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

Japan online gambling market

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.” The country has a state monopoly on offering public sports betting, which includes horse racing, auto racing, cycling and boat racing.

The online gaming Asia is interested in is fueled 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 for the Osaka Integrated Resort. 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.

The September 2025 amendment made the official ban on gambling even stricter by criminalizing even publicizing access to prohibited online gambling platforms.

Gambling in Southeast Asia Pacific

Vietnam

Vietnam has strict regulations, and for decades, all forms of gambling were completely banned. Offshore (including Asian) online casinos are technically accessible for locals despite the ban, though.

Land-based casinos are operating under Decree 03/2017/ND-CP, amended by Decree 145/2024/ND-CP. Their activity is regulated by the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Finance. After the ministry’s evaluation, operators need to receive the Prime Minister’s blessing in order to begin operating their business. Gambling companies should have a minimum $2 billion investment to qualify for operating in resort complexes.

Vietnamese citizens are now allowed to gamble legally at three land-based casinos: Corona Resort & Casino, the Vân Dôn complex and The Grand Hô Tràm (under Resolution 8/2025/NQ-CP). However, there are requirements that must be met, such as a proven monthly income that exceeds VND 10 million (€333/$380) and an entry fee to be paid on arrival. The players must also be older than 21.

International sports betting has been significantly expanded starting from 2026 – the locals can now legally bet on international football tournaments such as La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, and racing. Horse racing and greyhound racing remain accessible, too.

Philippines

The Philippines has 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 halls, betting shops, cardrooms and land-based casinos; while CEZA issues licenses to online gambling operators — although these are not allowed to offer their services to citizens 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.

The Philippines is currently going through a period of drastic transformation. Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) were online casinos operated out of the Philippines and offered online gambling services to other countries. They formed a major part of the gambling market in APAC. These were completely shut down by the government in December 2024. One month later, in January 2025, the amount of GGR tax companies had to pay was reduced from 55% to 30% to encourage operators to join the licensed environment. The Philippine government is also working on improving safety and financial traceability, which resulted in E-wallets being delinked from iGaming websites in 2025.

Singapore

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

As with 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 (€101/$116 as of July 2026) introduced to discourage problem gambling. Currently, the number of licenses available is capped at two, with one taken by Marina Bay Sands Casino and the other by Resorts World Sentosa Casino, creating a duopoly. They generated $5.25 billion in gaming revenue in 2023. 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. It is regulated by the Gambling Regulatory Authority.

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 still being considered. However, players still use VPNs to access foreign platforms, an extremely common practice in Asian markets.

Morgan Stanley forecasts the Singapore GGR growth to be significantly slower than Macau’s (1% compared to 6%).

Malaysia

As a predominantly Islamic country, Malaysia bans both land-based and online gambling under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953. However, there is one licensed land-based casino, Genting Highlands, which caters exclusively to non-Muslims. There is also 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.

Complete ban

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.

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

While many countries don’t allow locals to play, people still can (and do) travel to gamble in 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, the liberalization inspired by 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 with 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 content for the style of online gaming Asia prefers, such as including 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.

How can Slotegrator help?

Slotegrator offers a full range of services for Asian online casino operators and bookmakers, including development of turnkey platforms. The new, updated modules include Casino Builder for sophisticated UX; risk management and anti-fraud tools; APIgrator for game integration; KYC module for a quick verification according to the regulators' requirements, and a newly updated BI module that uses AI to enable confidential comparison of your KPIs with your competitors.

Our turnkey solution saves time and money for operators, and allows them to focus on strategic planning rather than getting caught up on platform development. The complex solution offers several modules to quickly and easily create advanced UX and navigation from pre-made templates, set and adjust bonus and affiliate campaigns, deal with verification and KYC policies in compliance with regulations, and collect and analyze statistics from the platform. Our new AI feature allows you to anonymously compare your performance with your competitors to gain insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your project.

Slotegrator recommends you invest in localizing your platform. Once you know your audience, it’s always better to provide those players with all the important information and customer support in their native languages, curate games libraries to regional preferences and accept payment in all the expected currencies.