Chapter 2: Market overviews
Overview
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness one of the fastest growths in gaming and betting. The growth is mainly being driven by Australia – a liberal country that leads the world in terms of per person gaming and digital sports betting.
In the Asia-Pacific region, some governments have gone to lengths to limit digital gaming. For example, in Singapore, all forms of remote gaming were forbidden under new regulations in 2015, and in China and South Korea, a number of organisers of illegal gaming websites were arrested.
In Asia, both offline gaming and tourism sectors have also seen rapid growth, through an increase in casino resorts in the area. Macau, which has now overtaken Las Vegas to become the largest gaming city in the world, is the only part of China where land-based gaming has been legalised.
Technological advances have helped boost online revenues, with users now able to participate in sports betting and casino gaming via mobile, and increasingly online, with an increase in digital casino sites and associated advertising.
Football remains the largest draw when it comes to sports betting in Asia, with tennis increasing in popularity. Fast betting markets are the key to growth in Asia according to industry insiders. So too is the rapid expansion in in-play betting, which five years ago was only a small part of the sports betting business. This will be important within the developing Asian market.
Australia
Country |
Most popular sports |
Australia |
Australian Rules Football, rugby basketball, cricket, golf, |
soccer, tennis, motorsports and cycling |
Australia’ s ability to punch well above its weight in international sport, from swimming to cycling, is often attributed to its extensive training facilities, financed by the government, communities and sponsors.
The most popular sports in Australia are the Australian Football League( Aussie Rules) and the National Rugby League. Australians also follow cricket, golf, football( soccer), tennis, basketball, motorsports and cycling.
Sports betting is legal throughout Australia, and is one of the county’ s most popular forms of gaming. Numerous high street bookmakers can be found across the country, and all events can be wagered upon, from football and rugby to horse and greyhound racing.
Thoroughbred racing has been popular in Australia since the late 1800s, and is one of the three most popular sports in the country. In recent years, thoroughbred racing has become even more popular with spring and autumn racing carnivals that often attract over 100,000 spectators such as the Melbourne Cup. There are nearly 400 racecourses in the Australian territories, another indication of the popularity of the sport.
More than 70 % of Australians have a flutter at least once a year especially in line with key cultural events such as ANZAC Day and the Melbourne Cup. About 60 % buy a lottery ticket each year while 7 % try sports betting. Meanwhile, around 200,000 poker machines in Australia(‘ pokies’) consume close to 60 % of the gaming dollar in the country and are played by 30 % of the population.
66 Digital Sports Betting