

Asia
Online Casino Market in Japan
It’s no news that the online casino industry has been one of the biggest industries in the last two decades, with billions of dollars annually. From Vegas to Singapore, to Malta, to the United Kingdom and Macau, the online casino is now part of the everyday lifestyle of some people. At the outset of the industry, its current wave wasn’t really envisioned to take place so quickly. However, it will be safe to say that the industry has taken all of us by storm.
One of such revelations that have swept industry enthusiasts and patrons off their feet is the online casino market of Japan. This market is expanding and becoming as big as the rest of the world’s casino industry. There are so excellent online casino facilities in Japan. Manekinecasino was one of the first foreign-owned casinos to indicate interest in the Japanese casino market. We have you covered with all the relevant details relating to the Japanese online casino market and where to begin yourself.
The legality of Online Casinos in Japan
At the moment, online casinos are on strict restrictions and are generally prohibited at best. The restriction also relates to physical casino outlets operating in Japan, as they are considered illegal. However, lotteries are legal alongside betting on motorcycle racing, horse racing, powerboat racing, bicycle racing, betting on J-League Soccer Toto games. Another widely popular and accepted casino-like outlet in Japan is the Pachinko Parlor that has well over 20,000 outlets across Japan.
Pachinko is an arcade game that requires skill and is very well accepted amongst players of the 15 to 35 age bracket. Pachinko in itself is not up gambling, but it has been manipulated into a gambling game, while the authorities do almost nothing to prosecute gamblers. Pachinko has annual revenue running into billions of dollars generated from players, not taxes.
Just like the government is aware of Pachinko gambling, it is also mindful of online casino gambling by Japanese at foreign casino sites. Even though it’s generally illegal to operate online casinos in the country, a vast chunk of the Japanese population plays online casinos at several offshore sites. Even with the knowledge of this, the authorities don’t block access to these sites form Japan. This has resulted in varied opinions as to the position of the authorities regarding online casinos in recent times.
The Current Position of the Law
Having carried out several reviews of the existent laws on gambling, particularly online casinos, the Japanese government is finally giving the nod to online casinos. Accordingly, the Japanese lawmakers recently passed the Casino Bill that seeks to legalize and legitimize land-based casinos and online casinos in Japan. In April 2020, the parliament commenced a legislative process for enacting the Casino Implementation Bill, which will give full powers to relevant authorities to regulate the industry.
Among other things, the Implementation Bill will stipulate control measures for casino operators, licensing guidelines and eligibility, taxation, promote responsible gambling practices, et al. It is estimated that the industry will take off with full throttle in 2023, with over 20 billion dollars to be realized by 2030. Therefore, all reasonable indications point to the government’s approval regarding online and land-based casinos in Japan.
How Big is the Japanese Online Casino Market?
Against the backdrop of government casino enactments, some casino and gambling analysts carried out several surveys on the Japanese market. The results of their studies all indicate that the online casino market in Japan is one of the best in the world. For instance, in a 2019 report by Sanford Bernstein, it was reported that the Japanese casino market would be the third-largest in the world, with revenues of 8 billion dollars per annum. This means that Japan will follow behind Macau and the United States, who already occupy first and second places, respectively.
In the same vein, a report by Global Market Advisors suggests that by 2030, the Japanese online casino market will rake in a staggering 24.2 billion dollars per annum. This indicates how far the Japanese market can offer to the online casino and iGaming world upon commencement of casino licensing.
What the Online Casino Market Entails for All Parties Involved
With no more than 6 locations under consideration for land-based casinos to operate in Japan, online casinos will be more in number, for obvious reasons. With the casino gold mine to be realized in Japan, the relevant authorities are bound to generate revenues through taxes on winnings. Licensing of casinos, as well as tourist growth, will all be driven by the market. In light of the boom, some parts of East Asia might also consider easing up their gambling laws to accommodate online casinos.
On their part, Casinos will make substantial fortunes operating in the Japanese market, given how much ripe the market is. Asides outright profits, they can also understudy other markets for expansion purposes.
With respect to players, they stand a chance of making as much money as their luck and expertise can bring them. So, the Japanese market is indeed a golden opportunity for all parties involved to realize some profits.
Asia
Hero Esports Announces Venues for ACL Grand Finals 2025

Hero Esports, an industry leader and the largest esports company in Asia, has announced its championship venues for the Asian Champions League (ACL) Grand Finals 2025 taking place May 16-18 in Shanghai. The landmark event will transform three of the city’s most iconic venues into battlegrounds for nine premier esports titles, cementing Shanghai’s status as the global esports capital.
The tournament is expected to attract 80,000+ live attendees across three venues, with global broadcasts reaching millions via Twitch, YouTube and TikTok. Participating teams will be competing for a total prize pool of $2 million. Selected ACL winners will earn direct entry to the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—the largest esports event in history due to take place from July to August.
“Shanghai’s selection as our host city reflects its unmatched esports infrastructure and passionate community. By combining elite competition with DreamHack’s festival energy, we’re creating a new blueprint for global esports events,” said Jonny Wang, CEO of ACL.
“This is Hero Esports’ most ambitious project to date. The ACL bridges Asian talents with the world stage while delivering unforgettable fan experiences through cutting-edge production,” said Danny Tang, Co-Founder & CEO of Hero Esports.
The post Hero Esports Announces Venues for ACL Grand Finals 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
LEADING SCORES APP LIVESCORE EYES ASIA GROWTH WITH EXPANDED BRAND PRESENCE IN THAILAND

LiveScore, home to the world’s leading app for sports scores, announces it is expanding its brand activation and presence in Thailand. This development marks a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to localising its services and engaging with football fans across Asia.
This strategic move highlights LiveScore’s commitment to expanding its presence in the region, beginning with Thailand and Indonesia. LiveScore has experienced substantial growth in Asia Pacific, with Thailand and Indonesia specifically representing a significant portion of LiveScore’s 7.6m users in Asia in 2024.
In line with this expansion, LiveScore has partnered with local agency, Holarchy, to enhance brand awareness and activation in the region. This step is crucial to the overall strategy aimed at engaging fans and brand partners throughout Asia. With the World Cup nearing, this expansion allows LiveScore to connect with dedicated football fans as it seeks to establish itself as the leading platform for football fans, and paves the way for exciting collaborations with regional brands.
This expansion showcases LiveScore’s ongoing commitment to Fuelling Fans’ Passion for Sport, providing localised content, live scores, and news that resonates with fans on a personal level.
To further cement its commitment to local audiences, LiveScore has launched its official Thai social media account, @livescore.th. LiveScore’s Thai-specific account will feature localised content from the global LiveScore account, complimented with content specifically crafted for Thai fans, making it easier than ever for fans to stay engaged with their favourite sports.
Beyond social, fans can look forward to a series of LiveScore events such as watch parties, with all activations designed to bring more fans closer to the games they love.
Dominic Vye, Marketing Director, LiveScore, said: “Sports, especially football, hold immense popularity across Asia. We’ve chosen Thailand as the first country for our Asia expansion because of the undeniable passion of Thai fans. From their vibrant love for food to their pride in national teams and unwavering enthusiasm for the Premier League, Thai fans stand out. With LiveScore already enjoying a strong following and a loyal user base, this expansion marks an incredibly exciting step forward for both us and the fans.”
“LiveScore has always been driven by our mission to Fuel Fans’ Passion for Sport, and the incredible passion of Asian football fans only motivates our commitment to building a personal connection with fans in every market. We’re witnessing a phenomenal growth as fans from all over the world engage with us more than ever, especially as excitement builds towards the World Cup in 2026, and we’re proud to provide them with real-time updates and content that is tailored to their interests and needs.
“This is just the beginning, and we’re looking forward to working with more like-minded brands committed to building meaningful connections with football fans across Asia.”
The post LEADING SCORES APP LIVESCORE EYES ASIA GROWTH WITH EXPANDED BRAND PRESENCE IN THAILAND appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Asia
NOVOMATIC Announces New Strategic Distribution Partnership with Harvest Gaming

NOVOMATIC has announced a new strategic distribution partnership with Harvest Gaming, a renowned company based in Singapore. This new venture marks an important step in NOVOMATIC’s strategy of expanding its presence across Asia and reinforces the Group’s long-term commitment to international growth through strong regional collaborations.
Under the new agreement, Harvest Gaming will represent NOVOMATIC’s leading portfolio of land-based gaming solutions in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. With its in-depth market knowledge, excellent industry relations, and a customer-focused approach, Harvest Gaming is ideally positioned to support NOVOMATIC’s growth and deliver tailored solutions to local operators.
“We are delighted to partner with Harvest Gaming in order to strengthen our footprint in Southeast Asia. Their deep understanding of the regional markets and dedication to supporting our customers make them excellent representatives of the NOVOMATIC brand. This partnership will allow us to serve operators in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam better with our tailored, high-performance gaming solutions,” Michael Barsin of NOVOMATIC Sales said.
“We are proud to be appointed as NOVOMATIC’s distributor for this important region. NOVOMATIC is globally recognized for its innovation, quality, and reliability – values that perfectly reflect our own business philosophy. We look forward to working closely with the NOVOMATIC team to support our customers and drive mutual growth in Southeast Asia,” Alfred Hwee, General Manager at Harvest Gaming, said.
This new partnership further expands NOVOMATIC’s global distribution network and enhances the Group’s ability to meet the specific needs of customers in one of the most dynamic regions of the international gaming industry.
The post NOVOMATIC Announces New Strategic Distribution Partnership with Harvest Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
gaming3 years ago
ODIN by 4Players: Immersive, state-of-the-art in-game audio launches into the next generation of gaming
-
EEG iGaming Directory8 years ago
iSoftBet continues to grow with new release Forest Mania
-
News7 years ago
Softbroke collaborates with Asia Live Tech for the expansion of the service line in the igaming market
-
News6 years ago
Super Bowl LIII: NFL Fans Can Bet on the #1 Sportsbook Review Site Betting-Super-Bowl.com, Providing Free Unbiased and Trusted News, Picks and Predictions
-
iGaming Industry7 years ago
Rick Meitzler appointed to the Indian Gaming Magazine Advisory Board for 2018
-
News6 years ago
REVEALED: Top eSports players set to earn $3.2 million in 2019
-
iGaming Industry7 years ago
French Senator raises Loot Boxes to France’s Gambling Regulator
-
News7 years ago
Exclusive Interview with Miklos Handa (Founder of the email marketing solutions, “MailMike.net”), speaker at Vienna International Gaming Expo 2018