Asia

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has arrested 12 people on suspicion of illegal online gaming operations. With the conclusion of a month-long investigation, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO, Alejandro H. Tengco, announced that the suspects were apprehended in Parañaque City with the help of the National Capital Region Police Office and the cybercrime unit of the Philippine National Police. …

The government of Kazakhstan has authorised amendments to the Tax Code that will require all licensed gambling operators to report on the wagering activities and profiles of Kazakh citizens.   A mandate that was approved by the Mazhilis (Parliament) in November has been imposed as of 12 February 2024, and will require Kazakh gambling operators to submit direct customer reports to …

188BET has announced that it is shutting down its operations in the Isle of Man as it shifts to the Philippines, changing its regulatory jurisdiction.  The operator has emphasised that during the transition it will ensure ‘responsible gambling practices and continuity’ by offering players options and enhanced services under the framework of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR). The …

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has highlighted that casinos in East and Southeast Asia have become the main vessels of local underground banking and money laundering syndicates to facilitate their illicit activities.  In the report “Casinos, Money Laundering, Underground Banking, and Transnational Organized Crime in East and Southeast Asia: A Hidden, Accelerating Threat”, the UNODC noted …

SMH Sports, the flagship brand of sports media and management company SMH Global, has become the exclusive licensee of La Gazzetta dello Sport in Eurasia. The company, based in the Georgian capital city Tbilisi, will first take La Gazzetta live in its founding market before launching in other Eurasian countries, highlighting Ukraine as the next country for the outlet. In addition, the launch …

Macau Horse Racing Company – operator of the Macau Jockey Club (MJC) – has announced an end to racing in the country. The agreement with the Macau (SAR) government to terminate the “Concession Contract for the Exclusion Operation of Horse Racing” means that the current contract will expire on 1 April 2024.  The company reported that it has been operating …

Google has informed its app developer community that its app store “Google Play will begin supporting more Real Money Game (RMG) apps this year”, including “game types and operators not currently covered by an existing licensing framework.” Developers were notified via a blog post authored by Karan Gambhir, Google’s Director of Global Trust and Safety Partnerships, titled “A New Approach …

Switzerland-based data provider Sportradar has announced an extension to its sports integrity partnership with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).  Sportradar will continue to supply the AFC with integrity services, such as bet monitoring, for at least until 2027, taking the partnership which was first conceived in 2013 to 14 years in total.  AFC President, Shaikh Salman, said: “For the past …

ParlayBay has signed an agreement with 96.com to provide its cricket content to the online gambling platform. As ParlayBay elevates its presence across Asia, 96.com will be integrating the Malta-based provider’s strong cricket portfolio into its offering – which will include the industry’s first ball-by-ball micro betting service. This feature – which is in ParlayBay’s STACK’EM bet builder format – …

India’s online gaming industry has been given another chance to challenge the decision by PM Modi’s cabinet to increase the Goods and Service Tax (GST) levy for the sector from 18% to 28%.  The country’s Supreme Court has now asked for further comments by the Indian government in response to a plea filed by a number of online gaming entities …