Gambling Business in Asia: Special Features
Cradle of Eastern philosophy… Place of origin of Genghis Khan and Gandhi, Buddha and Confucius… Monsoon forests with never-stopping rains and endless deserts… The Himalayas and the Ganges… Alluring Bollywood stories and move combats starring Bruce Lee…
Casinos are legalized in seven Asian countries, which is pretty good. But the thing you won’t find in any Asian state is totalisators. You can’t bet not only on horses, but even on dogs. The other thing lacking is new-era gambling establishments, which means you won’t find any poker terminals or slots.
With gambling games gaining popularity among the population of Central Asia, casino ban laws are sometimes ignored. Let’s take Nepal. The first casino with a speaking name Casino Nepal was opened in 1968. Today, Nepal has six casinos that attract gamblers from all over Southern Asia. In that part of the world, Nepal is the only country (along with Sri Lanka) that legalized gambling. Tourists, who wish to play away some (or much) money are going to Goa, the only Indian state with legal casinos. Another popular place for gambling is casinos on cruise ships, like Cavarela in Goa.
Popularity of Gambling
Despite reluctance of authorities to give licenses to casinos, gambling games are growing extremely popular, and even the most conservative states of Central Asia lift bans on casinos, hoping to receive huge money inflows to state budget. In Asia, you can find casinos in Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and China, Bhutan, and other states. With 28 casinos and 190 slots, Kazakhstan is the regional leader by the number of gaming establishments.
The region’s most popular casinos include the above-mentioned cruise ship casino Cavarela in Goa, and Nepalese casinos in its capital Katmandu - Casino Nepal, Casino Everest, Casino Anna, Casino Royale, Casino Rad, and Hyatt Regency Katmandu.
Totalisators Are Soon to Come?
Totalisator betting traditionally has lots of fans who are ready to use both legal and illegal totalisators. At the same time, profits from totalisators in Central Asia can’t compare to profits from other gambling games. According to Casino Rad. Statistics, totalisator betting is getting more and more popular.