Marcus Richards
The soaring global interest in online gambling isn’t specific to Asia; there’s a heightened interest across North America and Europe, too. Smartphones and mobile devices can knock down the barriers that previously existed in casino gaming, where the casino industry of days gone by was local, land-based operations. Today, the top online casinos have an eye on the global market, including the vastness of Asia, which is home to some of the world’s biggest and most profitable gambling jurisdictions.
What Is iGaming?
iGaming is any wager you place online on a gambling market. Usually, if you hear the word iGaming, it will exclusively refer to casino and sports betting, but it may also cover smaller betting markets. It’s a simple, collective, blanket term for digital gambling.
To better understand the popularity of Asian iGaming, we must focus on the areas that harness the energy and appetite for casino games and highlight areas witnessing the fastest growth. Once we break down and better understand the iGaming platforms popular in Asia, we can start to construct an idea of what keeps this colossal industry ticking and what could lead to it expanding further.
Asian iGaming Themes & Trends
Asian online gambling is a giant of a sector – the world’s biggest gambling jurisdiction is based in Macau, China, but this popularity spreads to the digital world, too—gambling in Macau even eclipses Las Vegas as the world’s most prominent and profitable gambling destination. There are many superstitions, lucky colors, and animals in Asian culture that game designers use to attract gamblers from that part of the world.
While this clearly plays a significant role, there are other elements to consider, too. Smartphone development, the mass accessibility of mobile devices, and ubiquitous internet access have made it much easier for tens of millions of ardent Asian gambling fans to access their favorite games over the last ten years. This trend has caused global iGaming platforms popular in Asia to experience a significant golden period. As these variables continue to drive up price action and the other areas of gaming experience considerable growth in Asia, it’s hard to see how this industry will slow down at any point in the foreseeable future.
Social & Economic Factors To Consider
By zooming out and looking at the more extensive global economic picture, it becomes evident that the most impactful elements driving the exploding popularity of Asian iGaming are:
- A global boom in smartphones and high-speed internet access.
- More digital casinos, more choices, and welcome bonuses and promotions.
- Emphasis on niche Asian themes, like lucky colors and cultural symbols.
Symbols attached to Asian gambling games include tigers, dragons, the color red, pagodas, pandas, and pearls. At the same time, there has been a drive in other slot themes aimed at cultures, such as ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, and other slots like Irish-themed titles.
Given that superstitions like luck and lucky colors are a big part of many Asian cultures, it’s not that much of a leap for iGaming companies to target these elements and have success. However, many will be surprised at their resounding success in Asia, and the industry continues to defy critics, reaching new heights and more extensive customer bases year after year.
How Far Can It Go?
Analysts, game designers, and casino operators within the market have earmarked the Asian continent as an area of genuine interest. Home to many of the largest global economies and millions of keen gamblers, companies looking to break into the Asian iGaming market have a mammoth task, given the extent of the competition that has battled it out in this field for over a decade.
However, as the money continues to roll in and the customer base continues to gather momentum, there will be no shortage of companies wanting in on the action. All expanding businesses eventually plateau or saturate due to overcrowding, but given that the Asian iGaming industry contains so many global companies who themselves appeal to a worldwide audience, it appears as though there’s still a significant margin for growth.
