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Japanese Culture and Gambling – Why Is It So Popular in Japan?
Japan is considered the mother of modern gambling although the authorities have banned gambling for years. The Japanese have a strong passion and attraction to gambling games like Pachinko, a slot game that has always been allowed. Today, such online casinos as https://luckychika.jp are on the rise of popularity.
If you are wondering what influenced the Japanese interest in the gambling industry and what was the beginning of such a culture, read below!
History of the Gambling Industry in Japan

According to history, Japan has always been distinguished by its prudence in setting the framework for gambling. Back in ancient Japan, when the laws were especially strict, the authorities made a curious exception for prohibited entertainment. This affected the gambling games popular in those days – Shogi and Go. They became the pioneers of modern gambling and people still play in them.
The first gambling was recorded in the 7th century when Emperor Temmu played in Sugoroku. By the end of the 8th century, gambling had become incredibly popular, despite many bans. Betting on horse racing has been a very popular industry.
The Most Popular Games among Japanese
Despite many bans, Japan’s gambling culture has evolved slowly, but surely. The Japanese have three favourite and popular games that everyone loves.
Pachinko

The pachinko machine is a wooden panel with a large number of pins and a device for launching metal balls that are driven around the panel. To play pachinko, no special skill is required, so it can be easily played even by those who have entered the game room for the first time. The player buys balls or tokens and plays. If the player wins the bonus, he is given additional balls. The goal of this gambling game is to win as many balls or tokens as possible.
However it could be dangerously addictive to play pachinko. Read here a story about pachinko addiction https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13796207
Sports Betting
The betting industry has many fans and it is approved by the government to place bets. Thus, betting on horse racing (Keiba) has always been popular in Japan. Japanese Racing Association holds horse betting competitions every week. Other popular sports events are boat racing (Kyotei), bicycle racing (Keirin), and auto racing.
Takarakuji
It is a lottery game that is also allowed and can be easily found anywhere in Japan. There are three types of Takarakuji: regular lottery, lottery with multiple numbers, and Jumbo Takarakuji.
Nowadays. Online Gambling
Today, the gambling industry is developing very actively, especially online gaming. This was influenced by many factors, for example, quarantine, bans, or a simple desire to play right from home.
You can play your favourite gambling games free, as well as for real money – https://luckychika.jp/real-money-casinos/. Play the best games selected by real gambling experts now!
Conclusion
As you can see, gambling is an integral part of Japanese culture. The people attraction for this industry has been built for centuries, which continues today.
GR8 Tech
GR8 Tech Introduces Swipe-Based Matchmaking for iGaming
The most compelling relationship narratives seldom begin with a sales presentation. They start with a spark, a bond, with something unique that’s difficult to describe.
This Valentine’s Day, GR8 Tech suggests setting aside formal meetings and allowing chemistry to lead with its “Perfect iGaming Match,” resembling Tinder: operators can swipe through GR8 Tech solutions and products like profiles on a dating app, connecting with those that suit their business: quick, straightforward, and with undeniable chemistry.
Prefer it fast and direct to GGR? Perhaps the Infinite Casino Aggregation will grab your attention.
Are you involved in domination and affiliate management? Discover what Aff.Tech offers…
Consider that a date is most enjoyable when safety is a priority? Risk Management completely concurs!
However—no additional spoilers. It’s time to swipe and discover for yourself.
How operators can find “the one”:
● Swipe-based discovery: Like any good Valentine’s day flirt, swipe right on what feels like “the one,” left on what doesn’t.
● Find the right product fast: From sportsbook to full turnkey, operators can meet their perfect match immediately.
● Start the right conversation: Once there’s a match, operators aren’t starting from scratch. They’re starting from “this is what we need.”
“Choosing the right tech stack shouldn’t feel like an endless first date with spreadsheets,” said Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech. “This Valentine’s Day experience makes it fun to explore what you actually need, and makes it easier to start the right conversation with our team. When operators match with the right solutions, everything gets smoother: launches, growth, and day-to-day operations.”
This Valentine’s Day, GR8 Tech encourages operators to bypass the uncomfortable chit-chat, engage purposefully, and explore how compatibility manifests when technology, growth, and operations align seamlessly.
The post GR8 Tech Introduces Swipe-Based Matchmaking for iGaming appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
ASUS
ASUS and BLAST Premier Extend Partnership Ahead of 2026 Global Tour
International competitive entertainment firm BLAST has today revealed a continuation of their collaboration with ASUS, a prominent global technology leader. After a successful collaboration in 2025, ASUS will be the Official Partner for Monitors, PCs, Laptops, Keyboards, and Mice for the entire 2026 season of BLAST Premier, a worldwide Counter-Strike 2 tournament series.
This collaboration will cover six events, three continents, and five nations throughout 2026, commencing this week in Malta for BLAST Premier Bounty S1. The occurrences are as detailed:
- BLAST Bounty S1 – Malta: 13th January – 25th January.
- BLAST Open S1 – Rotterdam, Netherlands: 18th March – 29th March
- BLAST Rivals S1 – Fort Worth, Texas, USA: 29th April – 3rd May
- BLAST Bounty S2 – Malta: 21st July – 2nd August
- BLAST Open S2 – Europe: 26th August – 6th September
- BLAST Rivals S2 – Hong Kong: 11th November – 15th November
Under the agreement, ASUS will supply its top-tier monitors, PCs, laptops, keyboards, and mice for use in broadcasting during all Premier events in 2026.
The ROG Strix XG248QSG Ace will remain in use on stage after successful implementation during the last three events in 2025. The display includes a 24.1-inch FHD Super TN panel boasting a 610Hz refresh rate and Extreme Low Motion Blur 2 (ELMB 2) technology for sharp motion clarity. It guarantees almost no latency with 0.8ms input delay.
The BLAST Premier Esports Station ‘Powered by ASUS’ is crafted for optimal tournament performance. These computers are equipped with the ROG Strix GeForce RTX
5090 graphics card, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard, and the AMD Ryzen
7 9800X3D CPU.
Kevin Nguyen, Director of Partnerships at BLAST, said: “2025 was an incredibly successful first BLAST Premier season in this new era of Counter-Strike and we’re proud to be going into 2026 re-signing with an industry leader in ASUS. ASUS products not only elevated our competition standards, but also created unique experiences for attending fans at our events. We’re excited to be expanding our partnership with ASUS in 2026 as BLAST Premier wows fans around the world and in new locations such as Rotterdam in March and Fort Worth in May.”
“For two decades, ROG’s mission has been to innovate products that offer exceptional experiences. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re bringing that legacy to the competitive scene like never before,” said Kris Huang, General Manager of the ASUS Gaming & Workspace Gear business unit. “With this partnership, we’ve built a seamless ecosystem between our ultrafast displays and precision gear. It’s all designed so that gamers can achieve their true potential together in play. This is For Those Who Dare to demand perfection and we are here to deliver it.”
The season commences with BLAST Premier Bounty and continues through to BLAST Premier Rivals, which concludes the season in Hong Kong, with ASUS completely integrated into BLAST broadcasts for maximum brand visibility. This encompasses the physical positioning of ASUS monitors, PCs, laptops, and their range of keyboards and mice. ASUS will be incorporated into both digital and physical branding, in-broadcast ads, and customized branded content shown on air.
Moreover, ASUS is provided with its own broadcast segment that emphasizes highlight replays, featuring exclusive camera angles that display ASUS technology in action. ASUS will engage directly with fans, setting up branded booths at every Premier Arena event, beginning in Rotterdam, which is BLAST’s inaugural event in the Netherlands.
BLAST performed surveys with participants in 2025 to gauge the impact of the BLAST x ASUS collaboration, revealing that over a third of fans in attendance already utilize ASUS products, and 76% of fans who interacted engaged with ASUS products post-event. This is a brand that individuals in the CS community admire and utilize, highlighting the brand’s significance within BLAST and the impact of direct advertising at esports events.
ROG items will likewise bear the labels:
- “Official Monitor of BLAST Premier”
- “Official PC of BLAST Premier”
- “Official Laptop of BLAST Premier”
- “Official Mouse & Keyboard of BLAST Premier”
The post ASUS and BLAST Premier Extend Partnership Ahead of 2026 Global Tour appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blask Awards
Endorphina’s Hell Hot 100 Crowned “Ukraine Game of the Year” at the Blask Awards
It’s getting hot in here! Hell Hot! Yes, Endorphina has only gone and won “Ukraine Game of the Year” in the prestigious Blask Awards with our fun and fiery Hell Hot 100!
Spicy, spirited fruit, flame-play, Hell Hot 100, which ignites the devil in all, demonstrates that we persist in achieving our objectives in expanding marketing frontiers, with increasingly inventive high-quality gaming experiences, and establishing new benchmarks in an iGaming sector that never rests.
This illustrates that the mechanics behind securing this award highlight Endorphina’s growing power in the market, particularly in terms of game promotion. To achieve victory, we needed to raise this game to be the leading contender by showtime, featuring the greatest number of operators in Ukraine.
In other words, the choice depended on market presence and the extent to which the game is accessible on operator websites in the nation.
This affirmation from Max Tesla, CEO and co-founder Blask, says: “Congratulations to Endorphina’s “Hell Hot 100” on winning Ukraine Game of the Year. This award isn’t about hype or a single campaign. It’s awarded to the game that achieved the widest real-market footprint, being featured by the highest number of operators in Ukraine as of 1 January 2026.”
“Reaching that level of distribution means your title proved itself where it matters most: in operator lobbies, day after day, at scale.”
By achieving yet another significant milestone, Endorphina strengthens its status as a top award-winning game developer in iGaming engineering, recognized for its innovative creations and profound insight into player preferences. Awards aren’t merely for appearance; they demonstrate our commitment to fulfilling our promises and recognize the daily dedication and talent of our team, along with the trust from partners and operators globally, in continually elevating standards across all our activities.
Instances like this demonstrate significant admiration from the industry, motivating us to strive further, envision more, and produce titles that not only engage but also ignite the audience’s cheers.
What comes next in Endorphina’s continuously expanding pipeline? Just keep watching and find out! Maintain your volume at the highest setting as we aim for even greater achievements to conquer in the upcoming days!
The post Endorphina’s Hell Hot 100 Crowned “Ukraine Game of the Year” at the Blask Awards appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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