Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING APRIL 2018 16 establishments in operation. Such limitations haven’t diminished the nation’s thirst for gambling however with a December 2015 study by Union Gaming Analytics titled “India Gaming Market Study” putting illegal betting spend at up to US$60 billion annually, 90% of which is bet on cricket. Nation-wide GGR derived from legal gaming activities – including casinos in Goa and Sikkim, horse racing and lotteries – was estimated at around US$10 billion. More importantly, the study noted some clear similarities between India’s relationship with Nepal and China’s with Macau. “In many ways, we think the Nepal gaming story represents various successful components of the already-established Asian gaming playbook,” it said. “Like Macau, Nepal is physically connected to a massive population base that has limited domestic gaming alternatives and is highlighted by a fast-growing economy. Like Macau, the immediate adjacent states of India allow for a At a cost of US$52 million, Tiger Palace Resort is the first integrated resort to be built in South Asia – the region comprising Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, the Maldives and Bhutan. COVER STORY Just eight kilometers from Tiger Palace Resort , the Sunauli border crossing connects Nepal with India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, home to 215 million people.