Tired of Vegas for your gambling trips? Asia is the new up and comer in international gaming destinations. From Macau to Singapore, there is a lot to be offered in Asian gambling destinations.
Here, I am going to give you a list of the most popular Asian gambling destination. I hope you will add Asia to the list of your gambling vacation spots.
1 – Macau, China
There is a reason why Macau keeps coming up as a worthy gambling destination. It’s really popular right now!
And Macau is at the top of my list because it has to be. If you haven’t heard about the gambling capital of Asia, if not the planet, then you should. That’s right, I called Macau the gambling capital of the world. It has beat out the former world champion, Las Vegas, NV.
Much like Vegas, your visit to Macau will show any visitor that the city is devoted to its love of gambling. Macau is an autonomous area of China that is home to some pretty amazing casinos that have to be on your bucket list. The Parisian Macau, The Venetian, the Grand Lisboa, and the MGM are just a few to get you started.
Macau Has Some of the Largest Casinos in the World
I wish I could pit you toward a few great casinos, but that would be an injustice to the city. Each casino in Macau provides its own cultural experience. This is not a city of constraint. You’ve been warned! You should definitely see everything the city has to offer.
If you or your traveling companion need a break from the casino floors, there’s plenty of entertainment and other activities to see for everyone.
Macau has seen a slight dip in the number of annual visitors lately, but don’t be fooled. Macau has also seen a boom of new construction on some pretty breathtaking resorts. This new trend has bolstered the island’s celebrated Cotai Strip.
This town should be on the look out because there are other Asian contenders vying to take over the spot of Asia’s most popular gambling destination.
2 – The Philippines
The Philippines is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the continent of Asia. You might think that this country is a sleepy beach vacation spot where you can island hop over the crystal blue waters. But there is so much more. There are plenty of loud, in-your-face, over-the-top things to do in the Philippines.
The country has a booming gambling culture that is stealing visitors from Macau. The country offers modern mega-casinos that are tough competitors against Macau’s offerings.
And the reigning king of the Filipino gambling scene is the Resorts World Manila. This casino resort is located in the capital city of Manila. The Resorts World Casino is the original integrated casino to open in the country. It’s 2009 opening drew an international crowd for the extensive offerings of shopping, entertainment options, and world-class dinning.
The Resorts World Manila boasts more than 300 live tables and 1,500 gaming machines. With the resort’s close proximity to the airport, this makes it an obvious casino stop for travelers.
Solaire Resort and Casino is Resort World Manila’s biggest opponent, and it’s quite possibly the crowd favorite. The casino resort opened in 2013 and is home to two 17-story, five-star hotels that give guests mind-blowing oceanside rooms. This casino is not as large as the Resorts World Casino, but it is known for its opulent design, world-renowned poker rooms, and its location.
Two other can’t-miss casinos are the Resorts World Bayshore and the Hyatt Regency Manila. They both host exceptional gaming options and are a change from the two big casinos for players looking to diversify their Manila gambling trip.
3 – Singapore
Singapore, you say? I was surprised too the first time I read about the tiny island nation as a gambling destination. I was especially surprised because it only has two casinos compared to the Philippines’ 20+ and Macau’s staggering 38+.
Singapore makes up for its low number of casinos through luxurious offerings. With the opening of both casinos, Singapore’s gaming industry has constantly landed in the top 10 in the world.
This is pretty incredible since Singaporeans make up 60% of the gamblers. Singaporeans face a hefty fine for going into a casino in the first place. The common belief is that China’s cleaning-out of corrupt influences redirected gamblers from Macau to the island country.
Marina Bay Sands is the more famous of Singapore’s gaming casinos. The casino opened for business in 2010 as an addition to a massive resort. The construction of Marina Bay Sands cost well over $5 billion to finish the sprawling casino. At the time of its completion, the casino was the costliest in the world.
The casino at Marina Bay Sands is home to around 700 gambling tables, 2,500 gaming machines, a high-end shopping mall, a theme park, a variety of theaters and one more can’t-miss attraction—the remarkable SkyPark platform. This architectural feat spans over the three 55-story hotels on the property.
The Resorts World Sentosa Casino is not as well-known but it is still a luxury gaming and holiday destination. The casino is located on the island of Sentosa, which is located on the southern coast of Singapore.
The Resorts World Sentosa is one of the premiere luxury casinos in the Asian continent. It has a collaboration with IGT slot machines, which gives it an edge on its competitors.
When you’re not playing on one of their exclusive slot machines, make your way to any one of the 500 gaming tables. For those in your party that do not gamble, they have options ranging from the waterpark nearby, Universal Studios, or the in-house aquarium.
4 – South Korea
Visiting South Korean casinos will not include meeting local players. It happens to be illegal for South Korean locals to gamble. The country is one of a handful that has made it against the law for their citizens to gamble.
It’s well-known that South Korea is a giant went it comes to technology. You will certainly not be disappointed when it comes to their gaming machine offerings.
In the country’s capital, Seoul, players are in for a pleasant surprise when they happen on the Grand Walkerhill Casino. The vacationer-only casino may not be as glitzy as the casinos found in other Asian countries, but it offers the expected gaming range of technology-based machines and gambling tables.
Besides the Paradise Walkerhill Casino, other gambling establishments are quaint and modest, as they are not open to the locals.
Unless there are legislative changes to the laws surrounding the South Korean population’s ability to gamble, don’t expect to see the grandiose of the other Asian countries when it comes to gaming destinations.
Interestingly, the casino that is located within the Sheraton Hotel has décor inspired by the South Korean-style mixed with modern classics.
5 – Malaysia
The Resorts World brand continues its presence in South Asia with a flagship location in Malaysia. The mega resort grew from the Genting Casino, founded in 1970.
Genting Casino has grown into the complex known as Genting Resort, now known as the Resorts World Genting. What once only held 30 gaming tables has exploded into 200,000 square feet of gaming space. The resort has 400 tables and 3,000 gaming machines.
The Resorts World Genting’s only competitors are online casinos The resort is a wonderful destination, but it has seen a decline in its offerings compared to other Resorts World properties. Even so, this Malaysian iteration of the casino is still a great place to put on your list.
It should be noted that Malaysian society still views gambling as a bit risqué, making this establishment not as popular as those in other Asian countries. If you enjoy other activities, such as the entertainment offerings, then this is your place.
Are There Others?
Japan is a country to watch. While they currently have some extremely strict gambling laws in place, this is not to say that they have not found a work-around.
For Example:
The Japanese love pachinko. This is a gaming machine similar to a slot machine but doesn’t interfere with Japanese gambling restrictions. The pachinko industry in Japan has an annual revenue of $300 billion. This is more than Macau and Vegas collectively. That is pretty staggering, especially considering the country’s conservative views on gaming.
It will be interesting to see what happens as the country’s laws around gaming start to loosen. Currently, there is a bill called Integrated Resorts Implantation. This would open up the country to multiple casino resort contracts.
Japan is expected to move slowly on this bill as the traditional legislators are resistant. But stay tuned! If you’d like to learn more about upcoming news on gambling around the world, feel free to visit our news page to stay updated.
Conclusion
As you can see, popular gaming destinations in Asia vary widely. There is not the homogenous experience like what we are used to in the States. You will find anything from the blingy Vegas experiences to a smaller slower casino landscape. It all depends on the country as well as the culture’s view on gambling.
I would love to hear your Asian gambling destination experiences. Please leave a comment below! Happy gaming.
Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens has been researching and writing topics involving the gambling industry for well over a decade now and is considered an expert on all things casino and sports betting. Michael has been writing for GamblingSites.org since early 2016. …
