China

[byronkincaid]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/06/asia/AS-GEN-China-Poker.php

there seems to be a lot of effort being put into getting poker into China but it's illegal to play there FFS and the government won't let you access poker sites on the internet. Why bother?

[kinboshi]

Looks like they want to be in place for when/if it does become legal.  A massive potential market out there.

[danafish]

I believe the legality of many things in China is largely dependent on how much money the lobbyists have. I think they're using the American model...

[TightEnd]

Macau is a huge casino and gambling destination populated by many many Chinese


Going to be a vast new market for operators to benefit from

[byronkincaid]

Macau is a huge casino and gambling destination populated by many many Chinese


Going to be a vast new market for operators to benefit from

so they will make money from building live casinos not online ones?

[TightEnd]

well thats a tough question

to operate in any industry in China, as an overseas company, you need to be granted a Government licence. I once worked on a team trying to secure one...years and years of politics and much distrust by the Chinese until it was granted

I don't know whether they would operate their own casinos, outsource them say to the big Vegas operators or whether they would do online as well

I know from other work I have done that Cryptologic have a governemtn licence to operate in China already and Chinese companies themselves have huge interests in gaming such as slot games, scratchcards etc

[Geo the Sarge]

A few notes from a report into Gambling in China, Macau & Hong Kong.

Makes a lot of sense:

Gambling in China is effectively a national pastime. Despite the fact that few lotteries exist and virtually no other legalised gambling is permitted there are indications that the market will grow and flourish.

Indeed, lotteries, in the form of what is now called Keno, was first played in China 3,000 years ago to fund the building of the Great Wall. The first recorded lottery in Chinese history dates back to the Tang Dynasty and lotteries continued to occur sporadically until 1886 when the Chinese government decided that lotteries where a similar to robbery and prostitution and banned them. However, gambling continued throughout the country on a small scale and casinos flourished in the Treaty Ports and the International Settlement of Shanghai.

The success of Macau in attracting large numbers of Mainland Chinese to its casinos is one piece of evidence of the potential market. Chinese are also visiting casinos throughout Southeast Asia (destinations such as Thailand and Burma) and on trips to Europe and the USA.

Secondly, the incredible uptake of investing in stocks and shares is another indicator. Most analysts now consider that the Chinese general publics adoption of share dealing is effectively a form of legalised gambling.

Additionally, the government can see the potential revenue windfalls from additional organised gambling in terms of licensing operators and collecting tax revenues from ticket sales for various social and sporting causes. Furthermore, in a largely cash orientated market it is an ideal form of parting consumers from their cash and allow for greater circulation of cash in the economy.

Finally, the governments future strategy for lotteries and organised gambling in China remains unclear. However, there have been intimations from Beijing that it is considering liberalising the market somewhat to permit additional lotteries as well as the possibility of horse racing and casinos. The administration of lotteries has been officially handed over to the State Ministry of Finance and the State Council has called for greater efforts to develop lotteries.

This Access Asia China Contact market research report covers the emerging market for lotteries in Mainland China. The report covers the major lotteries in operation throughout the country, their governing bodies and provincial organising committees.

This report covers the three types of lottery currently operating in China. The first is the traditional type that involves issuing a fixed number of tickets with a pre-printed number on each ticket. The prize is pre-set and the winners are made public later via noticeboards and TV shows. This form of lottery utilises uniform printing, code numbers and a fixed number of sales points.

The second type are the form of lottery where buyers know the result on the spot. This is the fastest growing form of lottery in China due to its instant win nature. These lotteries are normally supported by large-scale sales and advertising promotions.

The third type of lottery is the sale of computer-linked lottery tickets. This is the most recent form of lottery in China. With this form of lottery, tickets are sold and winning the lottery is decided by whether the buyers numbers coincide with those drawn by lot

[AndrewT]

More money is gambled in Macau every year than in Las Vegas.

Anyone who doubts the gamble of the Chinese need only toddle along to the Empire Casino in Leicester Square - it's like downtown Beijing round the Punto Banco tables.