On the latest episode of iGaming Daily, Martyn Elliott was joined by Joe Streeter, Editor of iGaming Expert, to take a whistlestop tour of the latest gaming developments from around the world and also provide an overview of iGaming Expert’s mission to offer expert analysis and insights.

The duo began their tour in Thailand where a bill legalising casino games has been sent to parliament for approval, following sign-off from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Elsewhere in Asia, operators in India welcomed a decision by the Supreme Court to undergo a review over whether the Goods and Services Tax (GST) can be applied to retrospective activities.

However, there was no sign of movement on the 28% GST levy applied to all deposits, which has fuelled the departure of many players from the market. Joe noted that this has further fueled the country’s unlicensed market.

On the tax situation, Joe said: “It’s unworkable essentially, it’s a gift to the black market. So a little bit of clarity on the back tax has been praised as that enables operators to breathe for a minute.

“Hopefully, in 2025 the good news continues for the Indian market we get to see a market that complements the country’s economy and is enabled to grow in a safe and secure way.”

Outside of Asia, the conversation also touched on the status of the igaming market in Africa.

A recent report from iGaming Africa and Sharp Visions found that in Kenya there is a deeper appetite from young people, aged 18-30, to take part in gambling and they also want to play on their mobile devices. However, this does come with its own challenges.

“One of the key issues in Africa across the continent is the mobile networks,” explained Joe.

“We hear in North America and Europe about innovation and gamification, [but] when you’re talking about mobile gaming in Africa, because of limitations with the network, you have to put a ceiling on that innovation.

“How operators adapt to the African market is going to be a real challenge. They want to be innovative enough to engage players but also, a clunky experience because of networks just isn’t going to work.”

As mentioned previously, this week marked the introduction of the iGaming Expert and to end the episode Joe set out his vision for the site.

“The key is that expert, we’re going to tap into some of the vast industry experts that are out there,” promised Joe. “We’re going to stay ahead of the trends and try and shine a light on some of the markets that have perhaps been less well covered than they should have been in the past.”