Asian countries are quite varied in size and scope. However, while most have legalized many forms of gambling in the last few years, China has summarily refused.

China

Once upon a time, China was a gambling country. In fact, many historians believe that one of the world’s first lotteries originated in China. The origins of the modern Keno game are firmly rooted in ancient China. As a way to fund warring armies, Chinese leaders designed the Keno game. Keno, it is believed, was also successfully used to raise necessary revenues needed for building the Great Wall of China.

Today, all forms of gambling are illegal in China. As vehemently opposed as the government is to gambling, it is with that much more zeal that illegal gambling businesses try and thrive. Illegal gambling of all forms is rampant. There are makeshift casinos and numbers games like lotteries. There is the rising tide of internet gambling that is infiltrating the country. The Chinese government would like nothing less than to be able to dictate laws of gambling outside of their country, too.

Macau

Macau, located at the southeastern end of China, is a tiny peninsula where gambling has been legal since the mid 1800s. Up until recently, Macau was under Portuguese rule and has just been given back to China which has not chosen to change the gambling laws. Hopefully, the laws will not change, either, for big foreign business is banking on Macau being the next best thing to Las Vegas, in fact, hopefully even better.

Lucky for Macau, too, that gambling is illegal in China since that is where most of its current gambling patronage hails from. Middle class Chinese stream into Macau dumping billions of dollars each year into the already existing so-so casinos. In the not too distant future, though, Macau will be an orchestrated gambling paradise with resort complexes from such casino tycoons as Steve Wynn, of Bellagio and Wynn Las Vegas fame.

Singapore

Singapore is more typical of most Asian countries when it comes to gambling these days. The government has held out as long as it can before relaxing strict gambling bans. Singapore has had a lottery and pari mutuel betting, but now is wading into casino waters with plans for a few exotic resort casinos. The driving force is the overwhelming competition from other countries’ gambling venues that are literally siphoning enviable billions from Singapore’s own Asian population.