Although Las Vegas is the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about casinos, the Asian casino scene has been evolving in the background over the last few years. In fact, casinos in Macau and other Asian countries can now rival those in the West and they are also earning good sums of money from gamblers in Asia and beyond.
With the advent of the Internet also came the popularity of online casinos and soon enough, Asian online casinos have sprouted like mushrooms in different countries and they offer everything that American and European online casinos have—slot machines, online sports betting and poker. In 2018, the online casino market in Asia was already worth $51 billion and it ballooned even further to $72 billion last year. But what exactly are Asian casinos like and why are they so lucrative?
Asian gambling: A little history
Asians are no stranger to gambling. In fact, Asians have been gambling for at least 3,000 years and way before other civilizations. Gambling was even part of important historical events in many countries across the continent. In India, the decision on whether an empire is kept or lost was based on the roll of a dice while in China, the game of Keno was invented to help fund the construction of the Great Wall. Over time, games developed in Europe and Asia were combined to create more modern versions of BlackJack, Craps and Baccarat.
Today, you’ll see casinos in a lot of countries around Asia. Hong Kong and Macau are still the top spots for gambling while other countries like the Philippines are slowly becoming thriving destinations for gamblers. With such huge growth in this part of the world, the Asian gambling industry has also started introducing online casinos where gamblers can place their bets or play games online. And because Asians spend a lot of time on the Internet, this format was embraced in no time.
The legalities of online gambling in Asia
Gambling in Asia is pretty much like other continents while some countries allow it and others don’t. But there are a few areas in Asia where the rules for online gambling can be bent. Cambodia and South Korea ban any form of gambling. It’s also illegal to gamble in China except in Macau, although a lot of Chinese people still dabble in online gambling from offshore betting and gambling sites.
The Philippines has more lenient laws regarding online gambling, especially since a lot of its people love to gamble. India has different laws and regulations for every state, so the legality of sports betting or online gambling depends on where you are in the country. In countries where online gambling is banned, some gamblers play using Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to allow them to place bets safely. And some casinos also accept players to bet with them through bitcoin betting for the highest privacy transactions.
Finding the best online casinos in Asia
Asia is now considered the biggest market for online gambling in the world. This is why a lot of popular online gambling operators are now making their games more suitable for Asian gamblers. This means that finding the best Asian online casinos wouldn’t be too difficult. But being a thriving market means that Asia is also a target for a lot of scams and underground online gambling sites, which is why it’s very important to follow these tips when looking for the best online casinos in town:
- Read carefully about bonuses and rewards. It’s normal for Asian online casinos to offer bonuses and rewards to entice gamblers to play with them. But the catch is, not all of them really live up to their promise. For instance, some online casinos will not allow you to redeem your bonuses or rewards if you don’t reach a specific amount of winnings or until you refer someone to sign up with them. If you don’t want to go through those hassles, it’s very important to read the fine print of each offer before you sign up for anything. (if from Casinoroller88 they offer the best casino online brand for you to choose)
- Learn about payouts and currencies. Before you can gamble, you have to know if an online gambling site accepts your currency. This will keep you from incurring extra charges for conversions when you pay through wire transfer credit or debit card or electronic wallet. Choose an online gambling site that supports your preferred banking method so it’s not hard to pay for your bets and get your winnings and rewards.
- Look for compatibility. If you want to play conveniently, it’s best to opt for an online gambling site that allows you to play using your computer, tablet or mobile phone. This way, you can still place and monitor your bets and gamble even if you’re on the road. A lot of credible online gambling sites are now mobile-friendly, so you can go with them.
- Sign up with a casino that has customer support. You will encounter some problems with your games at some point and it would be handy to have a customer support service that you can call to ask for help. Most credible online gambling operators offer this feature for their customers to ask questions, get guidance for games and just have someone to assist them with problems regarding payments and winnings. You’d want that convenience if you want to enjoy the game, so make sure to choose an online gambling site that has a credible customer support service feature.
As online gambling in Asia continues to grow, more big-ticket operators are also setting up shop in many Asian countries to give better access to some of the best games in the betting scene. Today, some of the most popular games for Asian gamblers include Texas Hold’em Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Three-Card Poker, Fan Tan, Fortune 3 Card Poker, Fortune Baccarat and Sic Bo (not only casino game that they love it, but football bet or sportsbook is one of the top revenue in asia market too)
So if you want to enjoy the best of what Asian online casinos have to offer, make sure to follow this guide and always play it smart when it comes to placing your money on the right bets, no matter what the game is.
