Gambling News Across Asia
News on laws, licenses, venues, lotteries, racing and enforcement in 12 countries, with every story citing its sources.
National Police Agency issues circular on pachinko advertising handling
Japan's National Police Agency issued Notification No. 157 to all prefectural police on December 23, 2022, setting out how pachinko advertising and promotion restrictions should be applied and enforced.
President amends Allocation of Business Rules to assign online gaming to MeitY and e-Sports to Department of Sports
President Droupadi Murmu has amended India's Allocation of Business Rules, giving the electronics and IT ministry control of online gaming and the sports department control of e-Sports.
Government seeks forfeiture of assets linked to online gambling
Malaysia's government is seeking the forfeiture of money and properties linked to online gambling, according to a December 2022 report that also sets out the penalties for gambling offenses under Malaysian law.
Macau Administrative Regulation No. 55/2022 made
Macau's Chief Executive signed Administrative Regulation No. 55/2022 on 21 December 2022, setting out the detailed rules for licensing junket operators, collaborators and casino management companies under Law No. 16/2022.
Law No. 16/2022 establishes joint liability of concessionaires and repeals Regulation No. 6/2002
Macau's Law No. 16/2022, dated 19 December 2022, repealed Administrative Regulation No. 6/2002 and for the first time set out in law the joint liability of casino concessionaires for gaming promoters, collaborators and management companies.
Eleven satellite casinos approved to continue for three-year transition, seven to close
Eleven satellite casinos in Macau won government approval to keep operating for three more years under the current model, while seven will close, affecting about 1,900 workers.
GMM Limited fails to secure Macau gaming concession
Macau signed 10-year gaming concession contracts with its six existing operators on December 16, 2022, leaving Genting Malaysia-linked bidder GMM Limited without a concession.
Sands China signs finalized 10-year gaming concession contract
Sands China signed its finalized 10-year gaming concession contract with the Macao SAR government on Friday Dec. 16, 2022, after receiving a provisional concession on Nov. 26.
Six new casino gaming concessions granted effective 1 January 2023 for 10 years
Macau's government granted new 10 year casino concessions to six operators effective 1 January 2023, after a public tender that left out a Genting-linked bidder.
Legislative Assembly passes Law No. 16/2022 on casino gaming operation business regime
Macau's Legislative Assembly passed Law No. 16/2022 on 15 December 2022, setting licensing, capital and conduct rules for casino junkets, collaborators and management companies.
Wynn Resorts (Macau) signs new gaming concession contract with Macau government
Wynn Resorts (Macau) signed a new ten-year casino concession with the Macau government on 16 December 2022, running from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2032.
Ministry publishes Q4 2022 list of 98 websites with signs of legal violations
Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications published a fourth-quarter 2022 list of 98 websites showing signs of illegal betting and gambling content, taking its two-quarter total to 146.
Police arrest 412 in Op Soga IX over Qatar World Cup betting
Malaysian police arrested 412 people over Qatar World Cup football betting in an operation running from 19 November to 8 December, seizing RM10,601,201.25 in software credit value and RM417,613 in cash.
SLOT ZAP reopens after renewal
SLOT ZAP, a slot hall in Niigata City, Japan, reopened on Friday 9 December 2022 after a renewal that added smart slots and replaced the exterior and carpet.
Competitive Guandan Competition Rules (Trial) issued
China's sports administration issued trial competition rules for Guandan at the end of 2022, moving the card game from folk pastime toward formal competitive sport.
Macau casino concessions expire at end of 2022
Macau's government said its six incumbent casino operators will receive new licenses from January, with Malaysia's Genting missing out, as the current concessions expire at the end of 2022.
Macau casinos awarded new contracts and unveil non-gaming plans
Macau's six casino operators began ten-year contracts on January 1, 2023, after formally receiving their licenses in December and pledging $15 billion in investment, most of it non-gaming.
MeitY designated nodal ministry for online gaming
India amended its allocation of business rules in December 2022 to name the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology as the nodal ministry for online gaming, ending an era of state-by-state rulemaking.
Pachinko hall closures reached 774 in 2022
Japan had 6,839 pachinko halls operating at the end of December 2023, 526 fewer than a year earlier, after 774 halls closed during 2022.
Pasig City ban on Pogos and online gambling takes effect
A ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators and other forms of online gambling took effect in Pasig City in December 2022, under an ordinance giving affected companies one year to leave.
President Marcos issues Executive Order No. 9 s. 2022 continuing the E-Sabong suspension
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 9 s. 2022 in December 2022 to continue the suspension of all E-Sabong operations, including auxiliary E-Sabong activities, in the Philippines.
Revised gaming law Law No. 16/2022 comes into force
Macau's revised gaming law, Law No. 16/2022, took effect in December 2022, barring junket operators from taking deposits and reserving that business for casino concessionaires.
VML gaming assets vest to Macau government free of encumbrances
Gaming assets with a net book value of MOP 6,051,300,000 vested to the Macau government on 31 December 2022 after Venetian Macau and three affiliated companies signed vesting deeds.
Zac Purton withdraws from HKJC race night after Covid re-infection; Jockey King 1 bets refunded and Jockey King 2 pool opened
Zac Purton withdrew from a Hong Kong Jockey Club race night after a Covid re-infection, triggering full refunds of Jockey King 1 bets and the first re-opening of the pool as Jockey King 2.
State Bank of Vietnam issues Official Letter 9362/NHNN-TT on preventing use of payment services for illegal gambling
Vietnam's central bank told payment firms and e-wallet providers to tighten account checks and flag suspicious transfers to stop illegal gambling and football betting during the 2022 World Cup.
Investigation finds online World Cup betting hidden in social platforms in China
Legal Daily reporters found World Cup betting operating openly through social platforms, chat groups and offshore sites during Qatar 2022, with experts calling for tougher enforcement.
JRA announces development of a nationwide dirt race system
Japan's racing bodies agreed on a nationwide dirt racing overhaul that will phase out the domestic Jpn grade from 2028 and aims to make every dirt graded race international by 2033.
Macau government awards six gaming concessions, VML among concessionaires
Macau awarded six 10-year gaming concessions on 26 November 2022 to the incumbent operators, with Venetian Macau Limited among the provisional winners and Genting's local unit excluded.
Macau SAR Government provisionally awards new gaming concession to SJM Resorts, S.A.
Macau's government provisionally awarded a new 10-year gaming concession to SJM Resorts, S.A. on 26 November 2022, with the concession due to take effect on 1 January 2023.
MGM Grand Paradise receives provisional award of new Macao gaming concession
MGM Grand Paradise said the Macao government granted it the provisional award of a new gaming concession, keeping the operator among the companies licensed to run casino games in the city.