5 Leaders on Asia-Pacific Gaming Regulation: How to Balance Cultural Sensitivities and Competitiveness

As Asia-Pacific countries consider or expand casino and online regulation, the real test is not how permissive the rulebook looks on paper. It is whether the framework keeps activity inside the licensed perimeter while still fitting local political and cultural realities — which is the part PSPs, acquirers, and banks actually have to underwrite.

1. Paul Newson, principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of Regulating the Game, says competitiveness is really about channelisation. In his view, the key question is not which jurisdiction writes the loosest rules, but which one keeps the most activity inside a licensed and supervised perimeter. “Channelisation” is the operative test, he says, and that means the regime has to be designed so consumers actually use licensed options instead of offshore ones.
2. Newson uses New Zealand as the example. For more than two decades, it was unlawful to offer online casino games in New Zealand, yet lawful to play them. Residents spent freely on offshore platforms with no consumer protections, no avenue of recourse, and no revenue to the state. In his words, the prohibition was real on paper, but in practice it handed the market to operators the government could not reach.
3. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 changes that structure from 1 May. Rather than creating a new market from scratch, the law recognises an existing one and brings it into a framework that can govern harm. Up to 15 licensed platforms will operate under player set limits, exclusion tools, advertising controls, a credit card ban, and a duty that returns revenue to communities.
4. For high-risk payment providers, the useful takeaway is simple. Regulatory competitiveness is not just about how easy it is to license a business; it is about whether the local framework is strong enough to keep spend inside it. If consumers can still easily migrate offshore, the licensed market looks tidy on paper and leaks in practice.