Have you ever thought of going to East Asia but then a pandemic took over and made it nearly impossible to move around?
Well, you’re lucky – we’re bringing a part of East Asia to you. You’re just a click away from enjoying the top East Asian casino games out there.
So, jump straight to our list of the top 10 East Asian casino games and become part of this unique culture, broaden your horizon, and maybe even make some profit while you’re at it.
10 Top East Asian Casino Games
#1. Pai Gow Poker
All players are handed seven cards, which they arrange into two hands (a 5 and a 2) that face off against a dealer’s hand.
Pai Gow Poker is a combination of the world’s most popular gambling game, poker, and pai gow, a traditional Chinese tile gambling game. Invented in California as recently as the 1980s, the game is pretty rewarding and generally considered low risk.
There are several variations of this game that are available at live casinos anytime.
#2. Keno
Eighty numbered balls are released with participants having the option to choose up to 20 numbers before 20 balls are picked at random and rewards are granted for matches.
In Keno, players pick 20 numbers out of 80 numbered balls that get released. Then, 20 balls are randomly chosen and rewards are granted for matches.
There are not many rules you need to remember here because Keno is a simple game of pure luck and fortune. Thus, the probability of different strategies working is very low.
Variants definitely add more sophistication to this simple game which still manages to draw huge audiences in live casinos with its colorful gameplay and high aesthetic appeal.
#3. Sic Bo
Sic Bo is a three-dice game simply based on chance. All you need to do is pick side bets of high and low totals or two high-paying single number bets.
“Dice Pair” is the literal translation from Chinese, which is where the game originally comes from.
There are plenty of options for this game which is incredibly enjoyable and is designed for both live play and simulators.
This enjoyable game that’s designed for both live play and simulators also comes with a bunch of versions to choose from in case you want to try something different.
#4. Pachinko
Pachinko is a very visual and fun game that involves masses of little balls tumbling down a table and falling into pockets. You simply let the balls fall and hope that they drop in the appropriate boxes at the bottom, which may offer bonuses such as more balls. Interestingly, winnings can be swapped with other gifts.
Even though it’s not one of the most famous online East Asian casino games, Pachinko remains iconic for its place in Japanese culture and its transmission to the west.
#5. Fan Tan
Fan Tan is a Macau-favorite dealer game. The game runner covers a random number of buttons with the cup and when the number of buttons is taken, players bet on how many buttons divisible by four will be remaining.
There are several betting alternatives available, with odds ranging from 2/1 to 3/1 and a house edge of no more than 3.75 percent.
The game consists of amazing theatrical pieces including white discs, cups, and wands. It’s not a common game, but once you get it, you’ll enjoy it.
#6. Baccarat
Baccarat online is a game in which the Banker and the Player compete against one other. You bet on whether the Banker’s or Player’s hand will be closest to 9.
We all know that baccarat is a French game, but it’s huge in the East Asian casino market, with various versions coming out of Macau in particular.
Most live casino baccarat games nod to the game’s popularity with East Asian customers through the set’s dressing and the game staff’s costumes.
Monkey baccarat, Hit me baccarat, and Lucky draw baccarat, are just some of the options available at online casinos.
#7. Dragon Tiger
Dragon Tiger couldn’t be easier. One card is dealt on the Dragon betting position and the other on the Tiger betting position. The winning betting position is the one with the highest card. As the player, you choose whether to gamble on the Dragon, Tiger, or Tie.
This game is the East Asian version of baccarat that has really taken off.
#8. Mah Jong
Four players are needed to play Mah Jong. The game is over when the first player matches a hand of 14 tiles and therefore calls “Mah Jong,” at which point the tiles are tallied and a winner is announced.
This is kind of a classic, stereotypical Chinese gambling game, and, truth be told, it’s not simple. It’s usually difficult to adapt Mah Jong online but if you find a good version, definitely go for it.
#9. Yee Hah Hi
Yee Hah Hi is actually a pretty nice, decent-looking game. It contains different interesting elements such as colored scorpions, fish, gourds, coins, crabs, and roosters representing the numbers 1 to 6. The game plays on color bets rather than symbols.
If you enjoy Sic Bo then you will most likely enjoy this game too, given that this is simply a version of Sic Bo but with pictures on the dice instead of numbers.
#10. Macau style
Last but not least we come to the Macau-style games. This is a bit of a cheat because Macau is not a casino game per se but rather the visual style and aesthetic used in many different games.
Basically, Macau is like Hong Kong. Best known as a former Portuguese colony in China, Macau survived well beyond the colonial age thanks to dodgy treaties to make it a joint territory. Now Macau is part of China but – like Hong Kong – it’s governed in a slightly different way.
What you want to know is that Macau is China’s biggest gambling market and synonymous with Las Vegas in its iconic status as a gambling center in East Asia.
Macau-themed games are available both in the casino and live casino worlds, including slots, casino games, and live casino games. Some of them are nicely done, while others are not so much, but the aesthetic will always be Chinese to some extent.
In live casinos, you may find East Asian-inspired costumes behind the tables.
Best UK Casinos to Play East Asian Games
If you can’t wait to get started with East Asian casino games, here are some of the best places to start:
Casino | Rating | Bonus | Features | Visit Casino |
5/5 | Up to £200 bonus and 100 free spins
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5/5 | 50 free spins and a 100% buy-in bonus
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5/5 | £500 welcome package, 10% cashback, and 100% first deposit bonus up to £200
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5/5 | 100% first deposit bonus up to £50 and 25 spins
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4.5/5 | 100% first deposit bonus up to £200 and 100 spins on 5 different slots
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4.5/5 | Deposit bonus: £50+ for 300 bonus spins
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4.5/5 | 100% deposit bonus of up to £100
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4/5 | Up to £100 deposit bonus plus 200 free spins
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4/5 | 300 free spins and 100% deposit bonus up to £100
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3.5/5 | 100% up to £300
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Harvey Dickenson
Safe Gambling Specialist
Harvey Dickenson is our safe gambling specialist. Harvey is a recreational poker player and an expert in online casino safety, cons, and scams.