Igaming regulation in Asian markets: EvenBet Gaming shares expert insights for mid‑2025

Julia Panina, head of product marketing at EvenBet Gaming, reveals details about the igaming market.

Press release.- As of mid‑2025, Asia’s igaming ecosystem still follows many different rules, with a clear contrast between progressive markets, like the Philippines, and deeply restricted jurisdictions, such as Indonesia or South Korea. While some countries are starting to draft clearer laws and watch the market more closely, others are still reinforcing prohibition. For operators and investors, understanding each country’s rules isn’t optional, but necessary to stay afloat.

This article shares the expertise of Julia Panina, head of product marketing at EvenBet Gaming. Julia has over a decade of experience in global companies and almost all marketing spheres. Her strategic and operational skills combined with a deep analytical approach allow her team at EvenBet Gaming to find outstanding forms for presenting software products at their best.

What unites the Asian markets

Although Asia lacks a unified regulatory model for online gambling, we can roughly group the laws in this region into four types: fully regulated (e.g., Philippines), reforming (Sri Lanka, Malaysia), experimenting with integrated resort legislation (Thailand), and strictly prohibitive (Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam). Other countries exist in unclear or conflicting laws, including India, where state-based rules run without central coordination.

Because laws are vague or overly strict in much of Asia, most of the region falls into legal grey zones, where players increasingly access offshore platforms. Licensed markets are now focusing on mobile apps first, which is not surprising given how players now interact with content. Smartphone penetration in countries like India, the Philippines, and Vietnam is more than 70 per cent, while digital payment platforms are widely adopted even in restrictive jurisdictions. The compliance rules are becoming stricter, too. Even in more flexible markets, governments are increasing control over gambling advertising, how much players can spend, and shady money flows.

Asian audience: Young and digital

Asia’s igaming audience is young, used to smartphones, and willing to take risks. The majority of players fall between 25 and 40 years of age, and many are active users of mobile payment tools and streaming services. Bigger urban centres and middle-income households are also the most prominent, though lower-income users are also active (but this particular demographic is what usually causes concern in terms of safe gambling behaviour).

If there’s one thing that wins over most Asian players, it’s platforms that speak their language — literally and culturally. Audiences in Asia tend to favour platforms with localised content, culturally adapted games, and payment methods locals already use. International brands entering Asian markets must really focus on the language and culture to secure player loyalty.

There is also a growing understanding that igaming is very ambiguous in legal terms. For instance, in Japan, over 90 per cent of citizens know that online gambling is illegal, yet many continue to play on offshore platforms. At the same time, in emerging regulated markets, like the Philippines and Sri Lanka, users increasingly choose licensed platforms that offer smoother, more trustworthy user experiences, especially as national governments improve enforcement and payment security.

The Philippines: Regulated growth

With the closure of offshore-focused POGO licences in 2024, the Philippines now concentrates solely on the PIGO system (the Philippine Inland Gaming Operator), designed to govern domestic iGaming. This shift has made the rules more consistent, since it’s monitored by the gaming regulator PAGCOR, and helped drive down the overseas‑facing operations.

Key developments in 2025 include a cut in operator tax from 35  per cent to 30  per cent, stricter compliance protocols for operators, advertising restrictions, and new ways to stop people from overspending on gambling. These are part of PAGCOR’s regulatory agenda. Gross gaming revenue reached US $7.16 bn in 2024, and forecasts now suggest a rise to between US $7.9 bn and $8.5 bn this year.

The Philippine framework remains Asia’s most mature and business‑friendly, it tries to grow the market without losing control and gives operators a clearer and more sustainable environment.

Thailand: the integrated‑resort vision

Thailand is moving forward with plans to allow casinos in large entertainment resorts for tourists. The new law, first approved in early 2025, set strict rules:

• Casinos can only take up 10 per cent of the resort space.

• Thai citizens must pay a 5,000 baht entry fee.

• Instead of a 50 million baht deposit, locals must show 3 years of tax records.

These rules aimed to keep gambling limited to wealthy Thais who can afford to play safely. The government wants to boost tourism while keeping most citizens from becoming addicted. The public sentiment is quite sour: a government survey found 69  per cent opposed online gambling, with 59 % opposing both casinos and complexes.

The Cabinet officially withdrew the bill on July, 9, 2025, though officials emphasised it may be reintroduced under more favourable conditions. For now, land‑based resort plans have stalled, and online gambling is effectively on hold.

Sri Lanka: A regulatory reset

Sri Lanka is making major changes to its gambling laws. In April 2025, the government approved a new bill that will:

• Create a central gambling regulator (called the GRA)

• Replace old, outdated gambling laws

• Licence all types of gambling

• Regulate online gaming for the first time

Sri Lanka is changing the rules to bring order to the igaming industry, which has been operated with almost no oversight for years. The new gambling bill has faced a lot of criticism, namely that it gives too much power to the Finance Minister and weakens the regulator’s independence. The opponents of the bill also mention that it doesn’t cover government lotteries or international gambling sites. Despite these issues, the government is pushing the bill ahead fairly quickly.

Japan: Deep demand and high barriers

Japan maintains a strict ban on online gambling, permitting only a few legal alternatives like government lotteries, approved sports betting (horse, motor, bicycle, boat races), pachinko halls, and upcoming land-based casinos in major cities (MGM projects in Osaka and Yokohama). Despite these restrictions, illegal online gambling continues to grow — over 3 million Japanese citizens use offshore platforms to wager billions every year.

Authorities have responded with even tougher enforcement: they target influencers who promote gambling, block access to gambling content, and pressure foreign jurisdictions to restrict Japan-facing sites. For operators, Japan is tempting, but risky. It’s an attractive market with a wealthy, tech-savvy population, but also with substantial legal risks.

India: A fractured landscape

India’s online gambling landscape remains highly fragmented — each state sets its own rules. While Goa and Sikkim allow physical casinos, only Sikkim permits online gambling within strict geo-fenced zones. Nageland has taken a different approach — it regulates skill-based card games. But most Indian states completely prohibit online games of chance, which leads to widespread unregulated activity.

The rules don’t match up between states, which creates significant challenges despite India’s big digital potential. Demand for online gaming continues to surge, with more than 700 million internet users and growing mobile access. But the lack of nationwide standards discourages major investors and forces operators to navigate complex, often contradictory state laws. At the same time, unregulated platforms fill the gap, mostly invisible to authorities.

Indonesia: Strict enforcement

Indonesia has one of Asia’s strictest gambling bans under Islamic law. All forms of gambling are considered criminal offences and can be punished by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. From October 2024 to April 2025, government task forces shut down over 1.3 million online gambling sites and froze more than 5,000 bank accounts tied to illicit gambling activity.

Despite widespread internet use and digital payments, authorities show zero tolerance towards igaming. Under the current law, Indonesia remains completely shut off for legitimate operators.

Malaysia: Reconsidering the status quo

Malaysia has strict gambling regulations that permit only land-based casinos and state-approved lotteries. However, the country’s Muslim population (over 60% of the population) still can’t gamble because of religious prohibitions. In this legal framework, offshore iGaming operators flourish while the government has no say in the matter. In May 2024, the Prime Minister announced a possible update of these policies, which might lead to a much-needed gambling reform. The government wants to find a balance between stopping illegal gambling and following religious rules. Any changes will need to respect what matters deeply to people, culture and religion, while dealing with how popular online gambling has become. Operators and investors are watching closely because the final decision could affect Malaysia’s gambling market and how it compares to neighbouring countries.

South Korea: Regulation as barrier to entry

South Korea allows land-based gambling only at Kangwon Land, and exclusively for locals. Other casinos accept only foreign visitors. The only legal alternatives are state lotteries and restricted sports betting. Online gambling remains completely banned, while people are discouraged from travelling to play at foreign casinos. The government even punishes gamblers when they return from abroad. Many Koreans still want to gamble, but the rules aren’t getting looser.

For gambling companies, South Korea remains completely closed. The government shows no signs of changing these tough laws anytime soon. Unless something changes, the market will stay off-limits.

Vietnam: Reservation, not reform

Vietnam keeps gambling under tight control and has separate rules for locals and foreigners. A few casinos operate in special tourist areas, but most Vietnamese citizens aren’t allowed to play — the government wants to protect people from problematic gambling.

iGaming faces even tougher rules. All casino-style Internet games are banned, including poker and other card games. Only simple, casual games can get licences. As it stands, online casinos don’t have a legal way in — no matter the demand.

This careful approach is common in Asia, where governments try to balance making money from gambling with protecting their citizens. Right now, Vietnam’s rules make life hard for both local players and foreign igaming companies. While the country could be a big market, the strict laws mean most gambling businesses can’t operate there legally. Companies interested in Vietnam need to be patient and follow the current laws very carefully.

Conclusion

Every country in Asia plays by its own rules: from permissive regulators to outright bans, the gambling landscape is anything but uniform. Some countries, like the Philippines, have clear rules and growing digital markets, making them attractive for investors. Others, including Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam, ban online gambling, leaving few to no legal options. Many countries are somewhere in between, changing their laws or operating in unclear legal territory.

This means that as an igaming company, you’ll need a different plan for each GEO and its specific situation. Spread the investments across different types of markets, follow local rules carefully, and be ready to adapt when laws change. The big picture shows Asia isn’t one market but many, full of potential for companies that understand local differences and can adjust their approach accordingly.