Pachinko is one of Japan’s favourite pastimes. Its popularity has grown exponentially since its emergence as a children’s game in the 1920s. The game soon gained popularity among adults and became a total phenomenon as the 20th century progressed.

The game plays a significant role in Japan’s economy. Extraordinarily, it now contributes around 4% to Japan’s GDP! In the late 1990s it was even higher, reaching a peak of 5.6% in 1999. This makes the Pachinko industry twice as profitable as the automobile export industry. It also employs more people than the entire automobile industry. Pachinko now produces more revenue than the gambling capitals of Macau, Singapore and Las Vegas combined. Profits from the industry amount to around 30 trillion yen each year. And when we say “industry” this doesn’t necessarily mean Japan’s casinos, but there is definitely an element of gambling involved as we’ll explain in more detail later.

Japanese cities are now dotted with Pachinko halls. There are different types to attract different kinds of clientele, as Pachinko’s popularity in Japan is consistent across all demographics. Initially more popular among men, more and more women have become enthusiastic players since the 1980s.

The game is often described in the West as “vertical pinball.” While this isn’t entirely accurate, the game does share some similarities with pinball, as well as with more standard slot machines. The game involves small steel balls which are shot into a vertical playing range and run around a track. Players use a lever on the side of the machine to play. The objective is to land as many of the balls as possible into small cups at the bottom of the range. While the machines used to be much more mechanical, they are now increasingly electronic.

Players also try to match symbols, as with a standard slot machine. When they match three of the same symbols, many small steel balls exit the machine into a plastic box, which can then be exchanged for tokens. When a player wins, the machine’s lights flash and the song changes.

While pachinko is essentially a game of chance, some “pachinko pros” identify patterns to exploit the machines more effectively. For example, newer machines are programmed to give out more wins to encourage players to return. Some also believe that there are better times of day to play particular machines. It’s not uncommon for players to win significant sums of money, in some cases as much as 200,000 yen in a day. However, a player can also lose up to 10,000 yet in as little as forty minutes of playing time without a win.

Other legal gambling industries in Japan, such as horse, bicycle and boat racing, are operated by the government. Pachinko, however, operates through a legal loophole and is “government tolerated.” Rather than playing directly for money, players play for small metal balls which can be exchanged for tokens. These tokens can then be exchanged for a range of prizes, including cash, at a different location. These locations are usually in different buildings that are very near the pachinko parlour.

Pachinko machines also usually take prepaid cards rather than cash. Despite the enormous popularity of pachinko, its nuanced legal status makes it a somewhat marginalised industry. It is not always seen as a “respectable” line of work among the Japanese middle classes and many of the parlours are operated by Korean immigrants.

Pachinko is often seen as a stress-relief activity for Japan’s salarymen or women with many responsibilities in the home. The style of parlour varies depending on the kind of players it is intended for. However, there are issues around addiction and compulsive gambling. In 1999, 29% of pachinko players reported that they felt they had an addiction to the game. There are other social problems associated with the game, such as neglect of the children of compulsive players.

The Japanese authorities have worked hard to address these issues since the 1990s. Some pachinko parlours now also offer small prizes and minimal expenditure from players in order to move the focus off the gambling aspect and onto the game itself. Advertisements for responsible playing are also visible throughout most parlours and in society more broadly.

Pachinko’s popularity may also be beginning to decline. There are almost a third fewer parlours than there were in 2005, and many that were already struggling have been forced to close due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Younger players also often prefer video games to pachinko.

Still, pachinko remains a cultural phenomenon and an intrinsic part of Japanese life. It can be fascinating to witness such a culturally specific pastime in action. Some pachinko parlours mainly cater to serious players. However, there are plenty of others where the staff will be delighted to introduce you to the game.

Online casino and sportsbook provider Slotegrator is one of the leading aggregators in the Eastern European and CIS gambling markets — and rightfully so: the company keeps a close eye on the evolution of iGaming in each country and provides you all the latest information. Slotegrator’s new article shines the spotlight on the gambling landscape of Uzbekistan.

In November 2019, the government of Uzbekistan published a decree on sports activities that also revealed officials’ intention to legalize the sports betting sector of the gambling industry, which was banned in 1991 (with one exception — state lotteries).

The potential legalization of sportsbook businesses looked like a serious and meaningful step forward on the government’s part, and was supposed to open some new doors to the highly promising market for sponsors and investors. It was also seen as a natural stimulus to help Uzbekistan’s sports industry — particularly football — make a giant leap forward.

In addition to the initiative to develop sports betting, there is a project to create a special gambling zone in the city of Muynak. The logic behind the idea is to popularize Uzbekistan as a  tourism destination and attract more international investments into the country’s economy. Meanwhile, the planned construction of an entertainment area should include a sports track as well as a shopping mall.

The year 2020 has been set to carry out all the necessary campaigns to lay the groundwork for taking the next steps and eliminating any possible legal contradictions and loopholes.

Read Slotegrator’s new article on Uzbekistan’s gambling initiatives to find out more about the current status of the project.

If you are looking for a place to go on vacation for, or if you are looking for a foreign land to retire on, going to Southeast Asian countries can be a breath of fresh air and a good dose of a fresh view for anyone. This part of the continent is a favorite for all kinds of tourists–those who are into beaches, those who are into peaceful lands, or those who are into some good city life, and even for those who want to keep the feel of the bright lights and the rush of the Las Vegas life–simply put, gambling.

Naturally, before engaging in any kind of activity on foreign land, you would want to make sure how things work–what are the things you can do, and what are the things that you cannot do. As such, if you are someone who would want to visit Malaysia and you have gambling as one of the things in your mind, you must have a deep understanding of how the laws and regulations in the country regarding gambling.

What you should understand

If you are a gambler and looking to tour in Malaysia, one of the first things you should know is this: you can still play casino games in the country. Right now, the only legal casino establishment in the country is the integrated hill resort Casino de Gentin of the Genting Group. This is located at the Genting Highlands in Pahang. Other than that, no casino or betting establishments are recognized by the government as legal. This is due to the move of the Malaysian government that aimed to control and regulate gambling by stopping the granting of licenses for any betting establishment.

As such, this makes online betting a technically illegal activity in Malaysia. This means that no online casino or betting site operator can operate within the country. However, there is a grey area of uncertainty when it comes to Malaysian citizens betting through offshore sites. What a lot of people recommend for anyone who is into online betting, is to just bet on an offshore site that is preferably based in Europe that accepts international customers.

Laws concerning gambling in Malaysia

There are at least three major laws that influence how online betting, and gambling as a whole, in the country.

Betting Act of 1953

The Betting Act of 1953, simply put, outlaws all forms of sports betting in Malaysia–of course, except the currently recognized casino house in the country. The law can impose a fine of 200,000 ringgits and five years in prison for anyone who will be caught and proven to be operating a betting house illegally. Whether it includes today’s modern online betting sites is unclear.

Common Gaming Houses Act of 1953

This act encompasses all forms of gambling, to the point that one can be criminally prosecuted for not just operating a gaming house but simply even for just being caught inside one.

The law, which is extensive and comprehensive, encompasses every and all possible locations and forms where anyone can do betting and gambling. Still, it has no clear laws against online betting.

Sharia Law

Malaysia is a dominantly Muslim country, with more than 60% of its residents being Muslims. Thus, most of its people are bound by what is called Sharia Law.

The Sharia Law, which all Muslim people are bound to and they must adhere to, considers all forms of gambling–referred to as maisir or qimar–as absolutely forbidden or haram, in Muslim terms. However, non-Muslim people who are in the country are not bound by these laws.