Asian casinos are cashing in on tourists from mainland China, where gambling is illegal.
Macau is the world's top casino market, and Casino Lisboa is one of the most well known casinos in the city. Credit: Sean Pavone, Shutterstock
In this week’s cover story, we introduce readers to NagaWorld, a casino complex in Cambodia that is booming thanks to Chinese gamblers. And it’s not the only one; since casino gambling is illegal in mainland China, casino developments in a number of China’s border countries are all vying for Chinese clientele.
Covid-19 has caused many brick-and-mortar casinos to temporarily close, but a few countries, like the Philippines, have also seen a rapid expansion in offshore gaming operators running online gaming services and live streaming casinos catering to Chinese players. Some are set to resume partial operations as early as this month according to announcements by Philippines gaming authority PAGCOR.
In the Big Picture, we show where Chinese citizens go to gamble, and which casinos are the biggest players in the industry.
Where Chinese Players Go to Gamble
Several Asian countries have legalized gambling in the past ten to twenty years, sometimes after decades or centuri
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