Launch Casinos in Indonesia, Vietnam, or Thailand: Key Features

The Southeast Asian market is becoming one of the most promising for iGaming operators. The region is characterised by a high level of audience interest, the availability of cryptocurrencies, and the massive use of VPNs.

Smart Money experts discuss the strategies for launching an entertainment business in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. You will learn about the key nuances that should be considered to create a profitable and investment-attractive startup.

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Indonesian Gambling Sector

Launching an online casino portal in this country means working in a shadowy but profitable market with a wide audience and huge growth potential.

There are legislative restrictions in the state, but at the same time, the demand for iGaming remains consistently high. The government plans to reform the industry in the coming years and legalise betting for tourists and foreign citizens.

Legal Framework

Indonesia is an Islamic republic where entertainment for money is prohibited for religious reasons:

• the Penal Code (KUHP) restricts the operation of both land-based and digital casinos.
• the law on the information transfer and electronic transactions (UU ITE) prohibits the organisation or provision of online gambling services.
• the Ministry of Communications (Kominfo) actively blocks websites and suppliers that circumvent regulations.

Current State of Affairs

Despite the restrictions, the grey iGaming market in Indonesia is actively growing and developing.

The shadow turnover in the niche exceeds $6 billion per year. The main income is brought by people aged 18–24, who make up 68% of all players. Another 37% of bids are placed by players aged 25–40 with higher education and stable earnings above average.

Young audiences gain access to online casinos thanks to VPN and other services aimed at bypassing blocking. Such customers also actively use cryptocurrency, including stablecoins.

Key preferences of gamblers include:

1. Content. Live dealer solutions (baccarat, Dragon and Tiger, and blackjack), crash entertainment, and themed slots dedicated to local culture and traditions have the greatest reach. In the betting segment, bids on football and badminton attract clients the most.
2. Behavioural features. 80% of traffic comes from mobile devices. Gamblers willingly play via Telegram bots and watch the broadcasts of popular TikTok and YouTube streamers.
3. Payments. In addition to virtual funds, casino visitors actively use local p2p exchanges. These are GoPay, OVO, DANA, LinkAja, and other e-wallet systems.

Prospects of Market Development

According to experts, the annual increase in the number of players in Indonesia will be 15–20%. Today, the number of users is growing steadily, including due to active digitalisation, penetration of smartphones, and accessible Internet.

Strict regulation of the industry in this country will remain until 2030. Registration in offshore jurisdictions (for example, in the Antilles or Curacao) will allow entrepreneurs to accept bets on the local market in a semi-legal mode.

Gambling Sector in Vietnam

The region’s entertainment sphere is an example of the combination of strict government control and growing interest from the population, especially young people.

Legal Aspects of Regulation

In this jurisdiction, games for money have long been considered illicit, and participation in them is a criminal offence. This is due to the historical policy of strict supervision by the Communist Party of Vietnam, which considered casino solutions a socially harmful habit.

Due to the growing interest in gambling, especially in tourist and border areas, the state began a gradual revision of the legal rules.

In 2017, the authorities launched a pilot sports betting program, which:

• includes international football and greyhound racing;
• specifies the minimum age of users (21 years);
• allows bids to be accepted only in licensed physical bookmakers’ offices.

There are several legal land-based casinos in Vietnam: The Grand Ho Tram Strip, Corona Resort & Casino, and other establishments focused mostly on tourists.

Development of the iGaming Vertical

This direction is officially prohibited in Vietnam, including the operation of digital betting platforms.

Thousands of users access international entertainment resources daily through:

• VPN — to bypass blocking;
• cryptocurrency — to make anonymous deposits and withdraw funds;
• messengers and social networks (Telegram, Zalo, and TikTok) — to contact technical support and receive promotional codes.

The government periodically conducts cybersecurity raids, blocks domains, and punishes the owners of illegal portals. But the market continues to grow anyway.

Features of the Vietnamese iGaming sector:

1. High population. The country is home to more than 100 million people, 70% of whom are under 40 years old. The main audience of casino sites is users aged 24–35.
2. A variety of entertainment. Local players are interested in live solutions (baccarat, Sic Bo), sportsbook options (football, basketball, or eSports), and crash content. Slots in the Asian style (anime, dragons, and mythology) are especially in demand.
3. Advanced payment infrastructure. Traditional banks do not support settlements on betting portals. For this reason, most providers use cryptocurrency (USDT, BTC, BNB, and other digital units). Besides, there are P2P platforms and e-wallet services in the region.

The Future of Online Gambling

In Vietnam, a steady increase in the number of clients interested in such entertainment is observed.

This can be explained by several factors:

• wide penetration of the Internet and smartphones;
• active use of VPN and Telegram bots to access closed websites;
• rapid dissemination of information via messengers and streaming platforms (TikTok, YouTube Live, or Twitch).

The social gambling segment is also growing. It includes betting resources, PvP challenges, streaming battles, and other activities that form a new model of audience engagement.

Such casinos do not need to be licensed to operate, which allows entrepreneurs to legally accept bids and earn money by selling internal products.

Entertainment Sector in Thailand

This is one of the jurisdictions with a strict legislative position on gambling. Nevertheless, hundreds of online portals registered in offshore zones provide services in the country.

Legislative Framework

According to the Gambling Act BE 2478, online betting, casino, and poker activities are prohibited.

The document allows the existence of:

• raffles (Thai Government Lottery);
• wagers on horse racing (in several certified clubs).

Local authorities have repeatedly discussed the possibility of legalising and taxing iGaming products, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The state began to look for new sources of income, but so far, it has focused on the development of tourism.

Features of the Online Casino Industry

Despite a number of restrictions, the shadow market is actively growing. Most players visit entertainment sites through VPN services and use cryptocurrency. This approach ensures instant payments and reduces operators' dependence on banks.

Features of the sector:

1. Progressive target audience. Thailand is a country with a young population. In cities such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai, the level of Internet penetration reaches 90%. Smartphones have become the main tool for accessing online services, so when launching iGaming portals, it is best to immediately focus on the mobile segment.
2. A variety of promotion methods. Due to the ban on traditional advertising, providers are increasingly applying alternative communication channels. These are Telegram, Line, TikTok, and YouTube. Advertising occurs through streaming, opinion leaders, and live solutions. Affiliate programs also provide a good marketing effect.
3. Localisation of products. Adaptation may include translating the platform’s interface into Thai, integrating local financial systems (TrueMoney, QR Thai Bank), and using visualisation with the elements of pop culture or Buddhist ethics.

Prospects for Online Gambling

Despite the current ban, the issue of partial legalisation of the vertical is already being discussed at the state level.

In 2022, the Thai parliament established a working group to study the experience of countries with a regulated casino niche (in particular, Cambodia, Singapore, and Japan).

The government proposes the following initiatives:

• creation of a legal entertainment zone in economically disadvantaged provinces;
• licensing of sports betting and land-based halls in tourist areas;
• control and taxation of online operators through offshore hubs.

Pilot licences are expected to appear no earlier than 2027–2028, assuming political stability in the country.

Thailand is among the top 5 regions with the highest rate of cryptocurrency adoption. Web3 casinos and other blockchain-based projects are becoming an alternative to traditional gaming sites, the operation of which is subject to strict regulation.

Today, many local entrepreneurs prefer Web3 gambling for the following reasons:

• fast integration of decentralised wallets (MetaMask, TrustWallet);
• seamless release of tokens (utility and reward-based models);
• creation of NFT clubs with exclusive access to entertainment for money and tournaments.

The Main Things about Gambling in Southeast Asia

Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand are promising countries for launching casino platforms.

Key aspects that entrepreneurs should take into account:

• iGaming is prohibited by law in all 3 jurisdictions. Operators launch such portals in offshore zones, and players visit them through VPN services.
• Local authorities are planning to legalise the sector, given the rapid growth of the grey market in the region. A pilot project has already been launched in Vietnam, and the first licences in Thailand will be issued in 2027.

The Smart Money studio provides comprehensive legal support for gambling brands.

We will help draft a business plan, obtain a licence, launch a startup, and successfully promote it. From us, you can order a turnkey platform, a White Label portal, payment services, and high-quality software.

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