GameOn - Go-Intel Report Asia-Pacific Frontier
betting is allowed via public welfare and sports lotteries operated by the Taiwan Sports Lottery. Online gambling remains illegal, though offshore access is common.
Market notes: Taiwan has high internet penetration and a tech- savvy population. Popular activities include lottery, sports betting, and mahjong. Esports betting has a small but growing audience, particularly for League of Legends. Line Pay and JKoPay are widely used payments.
HONG KONG Regulation: Gambling is regulated by the Gambling Ordinance. Horse racing, football betting, and lotteries are legal and operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), a non-profit. All other gambling, including casinos and online casino games, is prohibited. Te HKJC is the exclusive legal betting provider and operates offline and online channels for horse racing and football.
Market characteristics: Due to high disposable incomes, per-capita gamb- ling spend is among the world’s highest. Horse racing is a cultural mainstay; Sha Tin and Happy Valley draw large betting audiences. Football betting has expanded via the HKJC. Illegal gambling via offshore bookmakers persists, especially for casino games and basketball. Payment methods include Octopus and e-wallets such as AlipayHK and WeChat Pay.
South Asia
INDIA Regulatory diversity: India’s Constitution grants states the power to regulate gambling. Te Public Gambling Act 1867 prohibits running or visiting a “common gaming house,” but states can create exemptions. Goa,
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Daman, and Sikkim allow land-based casinos; Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Sikkim license online games of skill; Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh have attempted to ban online games in- cluding rummy and poker. Federally, the In- formation Technology Act 2000 prohibits trans- mission of gambling content, but enforcement is uneven. In 2023, the central government proposed the Online Gaming (Regulation) Bill to create a national regulator, but it has not been enacted.
Market size and adoption: India has 806 million internet users and 1.12 billion mobile connections.[1] Smartphone pen- etration is 46.5 per cent, with 659 million users. Te online gaming industry was valued at US$2.6bn in 2022 and is projected to surpass US$5bn by 2025 (industry estimates). Online rummy, poker, fantasy sports, and teen patti dominate. Dream11, MPL, Games24x7, and Nazara are notable operators. UPI has transformed payments, with Paytm, Pho- nePe, and Google Pay enabling instant deposits. Demographically, 62 per cent of players are aged 18-35; male players dominate, though female participation is rising. Average spend per user remains low (~US$15–20/month).
Key issues: Regulatory uncertainty, responsible gambling, and taxation are core challenges. GST is levied at 28 per cent on the total entry amount for games of chance, but states vary in classifying skill vs. chance. Court actions and intermittent bans create operational risk. Payment gateways may restrict transactions due to legal ambiguity. Despite these hurdles, India’s scale and youth demographics make it one of the most attractive long-term iGaming markets.
BANGLADESH Legal status: Gambling is prohibited under the Public Gambling
Act of 1867, adopted post-independence. All forms of betting, including online gambling, are illegal, reflecting strong religious norms. Illegal lottery and sports betting exist underground; there are no licensed operators.
Digital landscape: Bangladesh has over 189 million mobile connec- tions and roughly 66 per cent internet penetration (2024 estimates). Payment systems such as bKash and Nagad support mobile money but not gambling. Cross-border offshore play occurs via VPNs. Without legalisation, iGaming opportunities remain speculative.
PAKISTAN Legal framework: Gambling is illegal under the Prevention of Gamb- ling Act 1977 and Federal Shariat Court decisions, with limited exceptions for prize competitions and small lotteries. Online gambling and sports betting are prohibited. Enforcement is relatively strict, though illegal markets persist.
Market dynamics: Pakistan has about 194 million mobile connections (2024), internet penetration of 54 per cent, and rising smartphone ownership. Cricket betting is popular illegally, especially during the Pakistan Super League and international matches. JazzCash and Easypaisa are widely used payments for everyday transactions but cannot be legally used for gambling. Opportunities for overseas-facing operators exist around diaspora engagement and fantasy sports, but domestic legalisation is un- likely.
SRI LANKA Regulatory environment: Sri Lanka permits gambling under the Betting and Gaming Levy Act 1988, but licensing is limited. Two casinos operate in Colombo (Bally’s and Bel-
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