There’s no question that gambling and casinos are getting a new lease on life, not just in the US but in many countries and regions around the world. Even in more conservative areas and places governed by religious principles, governments are looking at gambling in a different light. Increasingly, regulated casino development is being seen as a way to promote tourism, drive economic development, and create jobs.
But one country is lagging behind while the rest are moving ahead: India. It’s the most populous nation in the world and boasts a growing middle class that is part of the second-largest mobile phone user base globally. Yet while more and more countries see the value of gambling regulation, India remains cautious.
The longer India keeps its own casino policy on the back burner, the greater the risk of falling behind regional competitors. With an already large and active population of gambling enthusiasts, a formal regulatory framework could help match the industry with the scale of India’s economy and tourism potential. In the casino landscape, Singapore, Vietnam, and the UAE have all built smart and strategic models that India, if it so chooses, could learn from. Let’s take a closer look.
Singapore: Betting on the Integrated Resort
Singapore didn’t legalize casinos on a whim and a dream. Aligning with the country’s highly regulated society, it took years of calculated planning, public debate, and risk considerations to reach a conclusion. Its model made certain that every element associated with gambling and casinos matched up with the nation’s existing goals. Singapore is well known for wanting to elevate its standing on the global stage and attract high-value tourism, which meant that casinos were destined to become a purposeful part of its wider development strategies.
In 2010, the government awarded exclusive licenses to two integrated resorts: Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands. Rather than acting as standalone casinos, they’re baked into these multi-billion-dollar structures that feature luxury hotels, retail, and entertainment as part of a broader tourism strategy. The regulatory framework is strict, with rigorous compliance standards, ongoing audits, and even domestic entry fees to deter residents from overusing the resorts.
The impact on Singapore’s tourism sector has been substantial, with these integrated resorts becoming global landmarks and visitor hotspots. They’re proof that casinos can be effectively regulated and profitable, away from shady underground markets. India’s existing gaming interest and tourist traffic mean that this template could work well. Turning casinos into a prestige-driven offering could help shift gambling from a legally ambiguous activity into a legitimate one.
Vietnam: Gradual Expansion with a Regional Focus
The Land of the Blue Dragon has also had a slow and steady come-up in the casino realm. But while Singapore’s model was gradual too, it’s centralized and top-down, unlike Vietnam. Vietnam is currently hosting a pilot program focusing on regional zones. Each region is evolving its policies independently, making the overall approach decentralized but still controlled at the national level.
In the country, casinos are used as tools to stimulate specific local economies rather than drive economic growth nationwide. Each casino project is intentionally placed in areas with strong tourism potential but lacking sufficient infrastructure. That way, they can attract foreigners, encourage tourism investment, and create jobs simultaneously. Unfortunately for Vietnamese locals, access to casinos is highly restricted, but there are ongoing discussions on liberalizing entry rules.
Since India is also divided into states and territories and has clear hesitations about fully embracing casino legalization, a regionally phased model could offer that middle ground and let policymakers test the waters. Already, Goa, Daman, and Sikkim allow land-based and floating casinos to operate legally, making them the most logical jump-off points for a more scalable policy. India can use these states as test sites first to see what works and what doesn’t before expanding to other tourism-driven regions.
The UAE: A Bold, Luxury Gaming Destination
Despite being governed by Sharia law, the UAE is making strides to enter the global casino market with strategic initiatives and landmark projects like Ras Al Khaimah’s Wynn Al Marjan Island resort. Set to open in early 2027, this opulent beachside project is another one of the UAE’s glitzy tourist attractions, as grand and ambitious as previous initiatives. The Wynn UAE is another notable way to position the UAE as part of the global casino market and help diversify its economy, which has been one of the country’s biggest priorities.
With this new landmark comes the need for a dedicated gaming authority. The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) was established in 2023 to license, regulate, and supervise all commercial gaming in the UAE, signaling how far the country has come from its traditionally conservative stance. The UAE has realized a way forward in the face of its unique religious and cultural challenges. Shaping the casino industry as another high-end avenue to attract foreign capital and boost its global reputation, the country aligns the sector with its ethos of luxury and innovation.
India is better known for its entrepreneurial spirit and rich heritage, boasting one of the world’s fastest-growing digital infrastructures. Following in the UAE’s footsteps, India can use these strengths to its advantage and support its very own luxury-integrated approach, but one that emphasizes a physical-digital connection. Once the country revamps its regulatory oversight and works on transparent governance, it will have an opportunity to create sophisticated gaming destinations that appeal to international tourists and high-net-worth citizens.
Can India Embrace Gambling Without Regulation?
It’s no secret that India has a massive online user base that plays games with gambling-like mechanics and even navigates offshore casino access through the legal grey area. Platforms like IndiaCasinos.com, an online casino review site, know that the demand and interest are high and exist to help users explore offshore and grey-market options. They guide Indian users to safe real-money gaming options in the midst of a fragmented legal landscape.
The reality is that many Indians crave centralized regulation. In this way, gambling can become legitimized, safe, and a more credible activity to participate in, both for investors and players. The country has a special dynamic in that there’s a significant cultural appetite for gathering in person and a deep mobile-first economy that makes remote play especially important. Without a clear framework for either side, the growing number of grey-market platforms can lead to serious financial and societal risks like fraud and addiction. The government also misses out on valuable tax revenue that could be used to better support public services. Further delays in formal regulation will force India to have to deal with a difficult redirection process from a risky ecosystem to one that’s fair and beneficial.
What Policy Could Look Like If India Gets Serious
If India chooses to get on board, the good news is that there are many ways to get started. Whether the government decides to adopt an integrated resort approach like Singapore, follow the regional pilot method like Vietnam, or see the UAE’s bold, luxury-driven strategy, clear regulation is the path forward.
For India specifically, a digital-first licensing model could work wonders too. With such a robust IT infrastructure, it could address those urgent remote and mobile gaming challenges first. Then, the cohesive regulatory framework could naturally follow. The nations explored in this article have aptly demonstrated that regulation and growth can co-exist, each supporting one another when there’s true oversight in place.
Now, India is left with a choice: formalize or stay on the sidelines of the casino economy.
