The Top Casino Games to Play in Asia

The people of Asia are among those that have embraced the new enthusiasm for playing online casino games. Asia is a major outlet for these games and casino revenue by the end of last year had reached $1.61 billion. 

Furthermore, projected market growth between now and the end of 2027 has been set at 8.19%. This would leave the Asian casino games industry worth $2.48 billion by that point. 

Clearly it is a burgeoning market for the games then and online casinos are genuinely global companies. They are available for people to play casino games in any country where that activity is legal.

So we know that Asia loves casino games, but do they love the same ones as people in western countries? You may be surprised to learn that many of the top games in those nations – including blackjack and roulette – are not quite so hot in Asia.

Read on if you want to find out what the most popular casino games among Asian players are.

Keno

This is the original Asian gambling game and it remains a frequent choice among players today. It was invented more than 2,000 years ago, so it must be a pretty special game to remain popular after all that time.

The cards used in the game feature eight numbered rows starting at one and going up to 80. Players choose numbers to put their wagers on and then 20 are drawn out, with wins coming for drawn numbers that match those you selected.

Keno was invented in China, but became big throughout Asia. Casinos offer both live and video Keno, but the latter is more common nowadays. It is simple, exciting and part of the culture of Asia.

Pai Gow Poker

This is a variant of the traditional Asian game of Pai Gow, which replaces the dominoes used in that game with a deck of cards. Although this twist on the format has its roots in the US during the 1980s, it is now often the preferred game among younger, urban Asians.

The idea behind Pai Gow Poker is for players to put together two hands – one with two cards and the other with five – while the banker does the same. You win if your hands are better than those of the banker.

It is basically the same rules as Pai Gow, only using cards. That mix of ancient and modern is why the game appeals to so many casino fans in Asia.

Sic Bo

Sic Bo is another truly ancient Asian casino game. No precise date has been established for its invention, but it is known to be thousands of years ago in China.

Whereas Keno and Pai Gow Poker are card games, Sic Bo is played with dice. That makes it closest to something like Craps in western casinos, but Sic Bo remains mostly obscure outside of Asia. 

The online casinos across the continent offer it as a live game played via video streaming. That opportunity to play against opponents and dealers they can actually see has really contributed to its popularity among young fans of casino gaming in Asia. 

Live casino games have been a big hit in western countries too, so we should not be surprised that Asian players like the way that they make gambling online less impersonal and isolated.

Sic Bo games involve three dice and players can make a bet on any of the numerous possible combinations of numbers that they could produce when rolled. It is a chance rather than strategic game.

Pachinko

Up until now, all of the games have been Chinese, but Pachinko is from Japan. In that country alone, $200 billion is spent on Pachinko games every year, which exceeds the money gambled at all of the Vegas casinos put together!

It is a sort of mix of a slot game and a pinball machine and the goal is to get a matching row of three numbers. Like Sic Bo – and the slots for that matter – it is another game that is more luck than planning or strategy.

Nowadays Pachinko games are more often digital and are found at Asian online casinos, but the rules are more or less the same. People like them for the fast, furious and colorful action, as well as the potential they offer for a big win.

From this article it might seem as if Asian casino fans have no use for western games. That is not entirely true, as both slot games and Baccarat have a definite following and can be found at many of the online and land-based casinos across the continent. Asia does have its own unique set of games though.

These are the games that keep people in Asia going back to casinos.