The basement of a Pyongyang hotel isn’t the only place you’ll be able to gamble when vacationing in Asia. Over the past ten years, gambling has exploded in various cities throughout the continent, and casinos can now be found in many hotels in Asia. Discussed below are two of the most prominent Asian vacation destinations for gamblers:

Macao: Known as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient”, gambling tourism makes up 50% of this Chinese enclave’s economy. Gambling has been legal in Macao since the 1850s, when it was a Portugese colony. Macao’s casino industry was controlled by a monopoly of Hong Kong and Macao businessmen until 2001, when the government granted casino licenses to international companies, including Vegas heavyweights Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts. Macao now has a total of 33 casinos, all of which offer Western-style gaming such as Texas hold ‘em poker, slots, and roulette as well as traditional Chinese games such as Sic Bo and Fan Tan. Many casino promos include free play and complimentary drinks. The largest casino in Macao is the Venetian Macao, owned by the Las Vegas Sands corporation that runs the Venetian casino in Las Vegas. In 2006, Macao surpassed Las Vegas in gambling revenues, earning nearly $7 billion.

Singapore: A new entrant onto the legal gambling scene, Singapore issued its first gambling licenses in 2005 in order to position itself as a more vibrant, cosmopolitan city that would provide its residents and visitors with a plethora of entertainment options. The first casino opened in February 2010, attracting 130,000 visitors during its first week of operation. Tourism to Singapore has exploded and will continue to grow substantially thanks to the introduction of gambling and construction of two casino megaresorts, the Resorts World Sentosa and the Marina Bay Sands. The Marina Bay Sands is the most expensive casino in the world, costing $8 billion. Both casinos are, in reality, integrated resorts that offer its guests a large variety of gambling choices, entertainment, shopping, dining establishments, theme parks, and other activities. Interestingly enough, Singapore locals are not free to enter the casinos as foreign tourists are. If Singapore residents wish to gamble, they must pay an entrance fee of approximately $100 per day, which is added directly to government coffers in order to pay for various social programs.