Local team is key: Expert shares insights on cracking Asia’s betting market
The Asia-Pacific sports betting market is about to embark on an exciting new era. Spurred by a mobile-first generation, record internet penetration, changing regulatory models, and the phenomenal growth of esports, the region presents both a challenge and an opportunity for operators and technology providers alike. While nations such as Singapore and South Korea are doubling down on regulation, others—most prominently the Philippines—are welcoming liberalisation and innovation, positioning themselves for next-generation betting ecosystems.
Key trends are reshaping the market. From hyper-localised esports titles like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang to tailored cricket and kabaddi offerings in India, the push for personalised and culturally relevant betting experiences is redefining success in the Asian market.
Speaking exclusively with SiGMA News during the recently concluded SiGMA Asia in Manila, Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product of BETBY, shared insights into the region’s evolving sports betting landscape — from micro-betting trends to regulatory fragmentation, as well as esports integrity to mobile-first innovation.
The Asian sports betting landscape
Nekrasov emphasised the importance of hyper-localisation. He said that building a local team is non-negotiable. “The main challenge is mindset. If you want to expand into Asia, you need to establish a local team. Hiring someone in Europe to manage Asia doesn’t work—they just don’t understand what’s going on here. Asian culture is totally different. Without a strong local team, it won’t work,” he said.
Micro-betting and in-play: Personalisation vs. performance
Due to the rise in popularity of in-play and micro-betting, new levels of speed and participation are required. Operators are under pressure to provide not only accurate pricing but also scale and user engagement tools as their focus shifts toward interactive and dynamic betting formats.
The rise of live and custom markets presents a tricky balance between latency, personalisation, and system performance. With mobile platforms leading the charge, sportsbooks are challenged to develop infrastructure that is not only fast but also adaptive to user behaviours.
“Micro-betting is a great feature, but really hard to manage because of delays. You must buy low-latency data. Without it, it’s not real micro-betting. On our side, we have alert systems. If a user starts losing too much again and again, we notify the operator and discuss the case. We do everything we can from the B2B side to support integrity,” Nekrasov noted.
Esports integrity and age verification
Esports betting is booming across Southeast and East Asia. However, regulatory frameworks are struggling to keep up. Nekrasov acknowledged this fragmented oversight. “We use all available tools to support users and promote responsible gaming,” he said, including systems for liability limits and behavioural alerts.
He also said that esports-focused platforms must take the lead in promoting responsible gaming and safeguarding young viewers with creative integrity safeguards, given the industry’s rapid evolution.
Navigating regulatory monopolies and grey markets
In markets with unclear or monopolistic regulatory environments, companies are proceeding with caution. Nekrasov identified inconsistent and often illogical licensing decisions as a major operational obstacle.
He cited Brazil’s bizarre inclusion of a decade-old Nintendo Wii game in its esports betting whitelist as an example of regulators lacking understanding of modern betting trends. “Regulators often don’t want a deep understanding; it’s easier to reduce or stop something rather than allow it,” he said.
“If I’m a fan of a volleyball team in Montenegro and want to bet on this team playing in the second league, can I bet on Spain or Italy? No. Even though it’s a regulated market with a regulated operator, they don’t offer this event because the government and regulators have a whitelist of tournaments, and this tournament isn’t on it,” he added.
Regulatory confusion hurts innovation
When asked whether the industry adapts too slowly to local nuances, Nekrasov pointed to a misalignment between regulatory requirements and genuine user interests. In many regulated European markets, fans are unable to bet on local teams because the tournaments are not whitelisted. “It’s a real tournament with a real team, but it’s not on the list—so you go to grey markets,” he explained.
Mobile betting now accounts for up to 85 percent of all wagers, according to Nekrasov. This mobile dominance is compelling sportsbooks to rethink their design philosophy, user experience, and bet presentation formats.
“Everything we do is designed with mobile in mind,” he stated. “I believe that in the future, laptop sportsbooks will become history.”
