Abelson Sports Asian betting shifts toward Player Props and Basketball
In conversation with G3, Jeevan Jeyaratnam, Chief Betting Officer at Abelson Sports, explores Asia’s evolving sports betting landscape. From regulation challenges in China and India to the rise of basketball and esports, Jeyaratnam highlights how local preferences, Asian Handicap markets, and growing demand for player props are reshaping engagement across the region.
Jeevan, taking a holistic view, how do you assess Asia's sports betting market? Which markets are ripe for growth?
Te general consensus is that Asia is a high volume, low margin region that operates by utilising sharp pricing that drives sports markets across the rest of the world. Tere is plenty of truth to this adage, but aside from this position as a pricing powerhouse there is far more nuance to the continent’s scope.
Perhaps the biggest stumbling block and the reason that Asia is regarded by many as a mystery is the lack of regulation and legality that surrounds many of the biggest territories in the region. China and India, with over 2 billion inhabitants, are the most notable. It is, of course, naive to think that gambling doesn’t exist because it is illegal, and black-market operators in both countries run huge operations. Traditional regulated sports betting hubs, Hong Kong and Philippines, are perhaps some of the best examples of structured marketplaces and while the Philippines has been actively tightening regulation over the past year, for those with licences, the opportunities are sizeable. All across Asia we are seeing moves to either clamp down or regulate gambling. From South Korea and Tailand to the most unlikely, UAE, we are seeing movement, whereas in India we are witnessing heavy clampdowns on gambling activity.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the world renowned and respected Hong Kong Jockey Club is famed for its huge betting volumes, despite only being permitted to offer betting on football and horse racing, although basketball has just been approved for launch.
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What leagues or competitions drive the most betting activity?
Time zones are an important factor. Tat’s why competitions such as the Japanese J-League, Australian A-League and also competitions in South America (favourable for morning coverage in Asia) are perhaps more popular in parts of Asia than you’d readily imagine. Tat all said, the English Premier League is very much top dog in terms of popularity and that correlates into high levels of betting interest. It’s no coincidence that a number of Premier League teams make trips to Asia during pre-season. Tere’s a growing fanatical base of support there and many millions to be made in merchandise, media rights and ticket sales.
Basketball wise, the NBA is king but EuroLeague is also popular, as are more regional Asian-based competitions.
To what extent is football still king for bettors across Asia? Which other sports do you expect to see rise in popularity, particularly with younger demographics?
It’s no surprise that football accounts for a huge share of business across the Asian region, but the impact of basketball should not be underestimated. Indeed, in figures I’ve seen from east Asia, basketball rivals or even usurps football in certain territories – the Philippines, for example.
It’s little surprise that the Hong Kong Jockey Club has successfully petitioned its government to allow it to offer basketball in the near
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