Gambling News Across Asia
News on laws, licenses, venues, lotteries, racing and enforcement in 12 countries, with every story citing its sources.
Advertising ban comes into force
Japan's amended gambling addiction law took effect on 25 September 2025, banning the advertising and promotion of illegal online gambling sites to users inside the country.
IHC begins accepting reports of illegal online gambling related information
Japan's Internet Hotline Center began accepting reports of illegal online gambling related information on 25 September 2025, covering casino site operation, app store listings and referral content.
Japan's revised gambling addiction countermeasures law comes into force
Japan's revised gambling addiction countermeasures law took effect on September 25, banning new online casino sites and their promotion on social media and YouTube, and requiring governments to raise awareness of online gambling dangers.
GST rate on lottery ticket sales raised from 28% to 40%
India's GST Council raised the goods and services tax on lottery ticket sales from 28% to 40% with effect from 22 September 2025, and Maharashtra's state lottery has since redrawn its prize structures around the higher rate.
Melco's satellite casino ceased operations
Melco Resorts closed its only Macau satellite casino, Grand Dragon, at 11:59 p.m. on 22 September 2025, part of a wider wind-down of satellite venues before a licensing transition period ends.
Ministry of Finance proposes new rules on special consumption tax subjects
Vietnam's Ministry of Finance has released a draft decree listing casino, prize-winning electronic games, betting, karaoke, massage, golf and lottery businesses among subjects of special consumption tax, and opened it for public comment.
Baseball first-half products expanded in Proto Seungbusik from round 109
Korea Sports Leisure will widen Proto Seungbusik first-half baseball products from round 109, sold 15 September 2025, covering all KBO weekday games and one MLB weekday game daily.
CF Mactan Isla temporarily suspended
PAGCOR temporarily suspended Casino Filipino Mactan Isla on September 13, 2025, a move whose impact on slot machine revenues is noted in the regulator's 2025 annual report.
Osaka IR initial investment raised to about JPY 1,513.0 billion
Osaka Prefecture and City have raised the initial investment for the planned casino-inclusive integrated resort on Yumeshima to about JPY 1,513.0 billion, up about JPY 243.0 billion, with MGM and Orix each adding about JPY 120.0 billion.
Legislative Council passes Betting Tax (Amendment) Bill 2025
Hong Kong's Legislative Council passed the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025 on 11 September 2025, giving the government a framework to regulate basketball betting under an exclusive license taxed at 50% of net stake receipts.
Resumption of second reading debate on Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025
Hong Kong's home affairs secretary moved to resume second reading of a bill creating a basketball betting framework, with the Jockey Club planned as sole operator.
PAGCOR posts updated lists of approved brands and domain names/URLs
PAGCOR has posted updated lists of approved brands and domain names for accredited gaming system administrators and integrated resort online licensees, with unlisted domains to be blocked.
Finance Ministry proposes single-enterprise football betting pilot
Vietnam's Ministry of Finance has proposed a draft decree that would let a single company run a five-year pilot of legal international football betting, with higher daily limits and a higher minimum age.
Japan amends the Basic Act on Countermeasures Against Gambling Addiction
Japan's amended Basic Act on Countermeasures Against Gambling Addiction bans presenting online gambling sites or apps and spreading gambling-related information, taking effect on 25 September 2025.
Ministry of Finance proposes new rules on horse racing, dog racing and international football betting
Vietnam's Ministry of Finance is drafting a decree to amend Decree 06/2017, letting betting firms use foreign horse and dog races and FIFA-member football matches and raising the daily maximum bet to VND 10 million.
Supreme Court of Korea defines gambling and reverses acquittal in sports prediction platform case
South Korea's Supreme Court ruled in September 2025 that betting cash-convertible game money on sports results at fixed odds is gambling, reversing a High Court acquittal and reinstating a fine.
US sanctions companies behind Southeast Asian scam centers
The United States sanctioned 20 companies and businesses accused of facilitating scam centers in Southeast Asia, including in Cambodia and Myanmar, in a September 2025 action.
Vietnamese prosecutors indict 43 in US$3.8 billion crypto gambling case
Prosecutors in Ho Chi Minh City have indicted 43 people over a US$3.8 billion crypto gambling network that took bets in USDT, Ethereum and Naga tokens before it was dismantled in 2021.
J-PLACE venues begin selling all races
Six J-PLACE off-course betting venues in Japan began selling tickets for every race on Saturday 23 August 2025, up from a limited selection of races previously.
PAGCOR publishes updated list of approved gaming brands and domain names
PAGCOR's Electronic Gaming Licensing Department has published an updated list of accredited gaming system administrators and online gaming platforms with their approved brands and domain names, open to comment for seven days.
TikTok suspends all gambling ads in the Philippines
TikTok told Philippine senators it has suspended all gambling advertising in the country since August 22, as a Senate hearing examined whether online gambling can be regulated at all.
40 arrested in Ho Chi Minh City online gambling network with nearly VND 600 billion in transactions
Ho Chi Minh City criminal police have detained 40 people and opened six cases over an online sports betting and games network run through Cambodian agents, with nearly VND 600 billion in transactions.
CF Majesty opens in Mandaluyong City
PAGCOR's CF Majesty casino in Mandaluyong City, run under Satellite Operations Group 4, began operations on August 16, 2025, adding a site to the state regulator's Casino Filipino network.
Supreme Court quashes acquittal in internet sports betting game money case
South Korea's Supreme Court ruled that a sports prediction game played with game money bought from an exchanger is gambling under the Criminal Code, overturning an acquittal and remanding the case to a Seoul court.
PAGCOR issues revised Casino Regulatory Manual for licensed land-based casinos
PAGCOR's revised Casino Regulatory Manual took effect on August 13, 2025, consolidating separate rulebooks into one framework for all licensed land-based casinos in the Philippines.
New carryover rules take effect for Soccer Toto Seung-mu-pae
Sports Toto's Soccer Toto Seung-mu-pae applies a new carryover method for first to fourth prize money from 8 August 2025, redistributing unclaimed winnings across ranks and future rounds.
Over 500,000 unlawful online content items taken down in three and a half years
Malaysia's communications ministry told parliament that service providers removed more than 500,000 unlawful online items between 1 January 2022 and 1 August 2025, with gambling accounting for 321,012 of them.
Xinhua reports on gambling fund transfer schemes via fourth-party payment
Xinhua's Xinhua Daily Telegraph investigation describes how shell companies and fourth-party payment channels move online gambling funds in China, and the court cases against the people who run them.
New casino rules introduced in Nepal
Nepal's government has applied new casino operating rules covering security standards, paid-up capital and pre-approval conditions, with 24 casinos renewed for the current fiscal year.
Finance ministry proposes higher casino entry fees for Vietnamese citizens
Vietnam's Ministry of Finance has opened a draft decree for public feedback that would let Vietnamese citizens enter casinos on a VNĐ2.5 million daily or VNĐ50 million monthly ticket.