Popularity of Online Gambling in Asia - A Full Breakdown

Online gambling has been on the rise for years and this constant growth has been evident all across the globe, but one of the regions where this rise wasn’t perhaps anticipated, at least not on that scale, is Asia.

After all, many Asian countries forbid gambling, so how is the online gambling market in the region consistently getting bigger and bigger?

In this article, we will take a look at the rising popularity of online gambling in Asia, the legal framework that’s in place in different countries, and speculate about the future of online gambling on the Asian continent.

In many regions across the world, the online gambling industry offers a wide range of products. While the laws in the region somewhat restrict what gambling forms are available to Asian players, the variety of online gambling options in Asia is still quite impressive.

The main online gambling forms in the region are pretty much the same as anywhere else in the world — sports betting, casino games, and lottery. Each of these has carved out its niche and together they contribute to the robust expansion of the gambling industry in Asia.

Simply by looking at the projections we can see that the online gambling industry in Asia has a bright future. Some early projections for 2024 say that we will see $12 billion in revenue for the iGaming industry in the region, with an annual rate of growth of 5.48%.

On top of that, projections also suggest that the gambling industry in Asia will have more than 43 million users by 2028, which also shows how tremendous is the potential in the region.

(all stats and figures were taken from Statista.com ).

Online Casino

As we already said, online casinos are a crucial part of the iGaming industry in Asia, offering a wide variety of games to choose from. That includes classic slots, video poker, table games, and the latest trend, live casino games.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg since the innovative nature of the industry provides a great opportunity for constant entertainment. After all, we’re always getting new games and new types of games, which further expand the landscape of online casinos in Asia and worldwide.

That being said, slots are still the most popular and numerous types of online casino games. However, we’re seeing live casino games getting increasingly popular thanks to their interactive and social elements.

Overall, online casino games are still behind sports betting when it comes to revenue in Asia, but they are clearly on a rising trajectory. After all, projected revenue for 2024, according to some sources, is around $3.4 billion. Meanwhile, online casinos in Asia also have a projected growth rate of around 5% annually.

Sports Betting

As we said above, sports betting is still the most popular form of online gambling in Asia, holding a significant share of the whole market. The projected revenue for 2024 is set at $3.64 billion, making sports betting the top earner for the industry.

One of the reasons why sports betting stays at the top is the array of different sports offered. Of course, football is the most popular of the bunch, even in Asia, but other sports like basketball, tennis, MMA, horse racing, and baseball are right behind.

On top of all this, Asian sports betting is also big on e-sports, for which the revenue is projected to hit $397.1 million in 2024. While this is a worldwide trend, the rise of e-sports betting is most evident in Asian countries, which have popularised e-sports.

Online Lottery

Another sector of online gambling that’s popular in Asia is the online lottery industry. After all, playing the lottery online allows people to participate in lotteries from other countries, giving them a chance to potentially win the biggest jackpots in the world.

When it comes to projections, it’s estimated that the revenue from online lottery in Asia is likely to hit $0.75 billion in 2024.

Now is a good time to dissect the state of the online gambling industry in a few biggest markets in Asia, country by country:

Japan

While Japan’s laws prohibit gambling, with a few notable exceptions like horse racing or pachinko, the authorities are pretty much only focused on local casinos and sports betting establishments and websites.

In a nutshell, online gambling is still flourishing in Japan at offshore online casinos. So, despite having to operate in this grey area, the online gambling industry in Japan is projected to hit $6.20 billion in revenue in 2024.

If you want to learn more about the online gambling landscape in Japan, make sure to check out https://allcasinos.jp. You can also take a closer look at the best options for online gambling in the country by visiting https://www.casinowired.com/.

India

Based on the Public Gambling Act of 1867, all forms of gambling are deemed illegal in India on the federal level. However, the Indian government allows individual states to regulate gambling how they see fit and some of them have decided to legalise the practice.

On top of that, online casinos and sportsbooks that are founded outside of the country can operate without any issues, which is a situation quite similar to the one in Japan.

All in all, the online gambling industry in India has a projected revenue of $2.90 billion for 2024, despite gambling not being fully legalised and regulated.

Philippines

Unlike Japan and India, the Philippines has a properly regulated gambling market. All gambling activities in the country are overseen by PAGCOR, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

That being said, local gambling establishments can’t offer online gambling to the country’s residents. Still, Filipino players can gamble online at some of the many offshore casinos and sports betting sites.

Meanwhile, the online gambling industry in the Philippines has projected revenue of $670 million for 2024, making it one of the biggest markets in Asia.

Thailand

The online gambling industry in Thailand is in a similar situation as Japan and India, which means that it’s officially illegal, but online casinos and sportsbooks based abroad operate without any problems.

So, despite these legal challenges, the projected revenue for 2024 for Thailand’s online gambling market is $538 million.

Singapore

The anti-gambling laws in Singapore are quite strict, which includes the Remote Gambling Act of 2014. However, there are exceptions and provisions in place that allow certain tourist resorts to operate casinos on the premises, but only for foreign citizens.

Of course, accessing online casinos and sportsbooks is possible with the use of VPNs, but the risk of penalties is much higher than it is in other countries in Asia.

Vietnam

The situation in Vietnam is very similar to the one in Singapore, with clear and strict laws banning any form of gambling, including online gambling.

Once again, it’s possible to play at offshore casinos if you use a VPN, but that comes with a lot of risk.

As we explained in this article, many Asian countries have laws that prohibit gambling. Some of them are lenient when it comes to online gambling at offshore casinos and sportsbooks, while others adhere to the law to the full extent.

In any case, it’s clear that despite these legal issues, the online gambling industry in Asia is consistently on the rise. This trend is likely going to continue and we’ll also likely see some countries revisit and rework their legal frameworks in the future.