Asia is nothing if not a continent of contrasts. Ancient temples nestle alongside glittering skyscrapers, traditional street markets share space with air-conditioned shopping monoliths, and cuisine ranges from the humble noodle to creations so elaborate they look more like architectural feats than something intended to be eaten. It’s also home to some of the world’s most intriguing, and occasionally overlooked, gambling destinations—places where wagering is woven into the fabric of local culture, or, just as often, conducted with a sly wink and a healthy disregard for the official line.
Take, for instance, the Philippines. Manila’s Entertainment City, with its sprawling complexes like Okada Manila and City of Dreams, might seem too grandiose to be classed as a hidden gem. But the real allure lies in the juxtaposition of this hyper-modern gambling paradise with the city’s bustling, chaotic charm. It’s a place where neon-lit luxury rubs shoulders with humble street food culture. Its frenetic nature is a double-edged sword: you’ll have the time of your life, but it will whizz by in the blink of an eye. That’s not to say that the fun has to end when you depart. With the rise of platforms like Betway, one need only perform a quick Betway download to keep luck rolling even when the flight home has been boarded.
Cambodia’s Unpolished Appeal
Cambodia presents a curious case. NagaWorld in Phnom Penh is the only licenced casino within the capital, its lavish halls glittering with the quiet menace of a particularly polished Bond villain’s lair. But the real intrigue is found along the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. Here, in the likes of Bavet and Poipet, you’ll find entire towns seemingly built around the gambling industry, catering largely to players from nearby Thailand and Vietnam, where gambling remains firmly on the naughty list. It’s not the sleekest of experiences, but there’s something refreshingly unsanitized about it all, the sense of discovery rather heightened by the slightly worn carpets and the intermittent buzz of an overworked air conditioner.
Korea’s Quiet Giant
One would be remiss, of course, not to mention South Korea’s Kangwon Land—a name that sounds rather like a mysterious theme park but is, in fact, the country’s only casino where locals are legally allowed to gamble. Tucked away in the mountains of Gangwon Province, this government-sanctioned gaming haven attracts over two million visitors each year. It even, slightly strangely, has a foreigners-only part of the casino. One imagines the journey itself adds a certain romanticism to proceedings, a pilgrimage of sorts, if one’s idea of religious devotion involves baccarat tables and the comforting clink of poker chips.
Betting By the Bay
Vietnam’s Halong Bay might be famous for its emerald waters and striking limestone islands, but its Quang Ninh Province is also home to several casinos that cater predominantly to foreigners. Officially, locals aren’t permitted to gamble, although it must be said that where there’s a will, there’s almost always a way. The appeal here lies not only in the gaming experience but also in the sheer beauty of the setting. Imagine emerging bleary-eyed from a blackjack table only to be greeted by a view so spectacular it almost makes you forget how many hands you’ve just lost. Almost.
Racing and Refinement
For those more interested in tradition than glitz, the horse racing circuits of Hong Kong and Singapore present a refined alternative. The Hong Kong Jockey Club, one of the largest and most profitable horse racing organisations in the world, reported a turnover of HK$305.6 billion (around $39.3 billion USD) for the 2022-23 racing season. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Casino, housed within an architectural marvel that looks like three skyscrapers carrying a luxury cruise liner on their shoulders, offers the sort of opulence usually reserved for people who wouldn’t flinch at being asked to pay twelve dollars for a bottle of water. They’d probably even offer a tip.
The Allure of Online Platforms
It would be naïve, of course, to ignore the role of online platforms in this evolving gambling landscape. With the digitalisation of betting, the experience has become increasingly portable. No longer must one trek through humid jungles or glittering urban sprawls in search of a poker table; a few taps on a smartphone and the world’s casinos are neatly encapsulated in the palm of your hand.
In truth, Asia’s gambling culture is as varied as the continent itself, a mosaic of tradition, regulation, and indulgence. There are places where gambling is as much a part of daily life as tea-drinking or cricket-watching, and others where it thrives precisely because of its semi-clandestine nature. For the traveller with an appreciation for the unexpected, there are few experiences more intriguing than uncovering these hidden gems, where the stakes are high, the stories are plentiful, and the charm, occasionally battered and bruised, remains firmly intact.