Asia is now the fastest growing gaming market in the world and the region is set to challenge Las Vegas as the casino capital of the world.

The growth is being driven by the established markets of Malaysia and South Korea, but also the emergence of Macau as a major gaming destination and the legalisation of gambling in Singapore after a 40-year ban – Las Vegas Sands is currently developing the country’s first casino resort at Marina Bay.

Japan, Taiwan and Thailand are also currently considering lifting their in-country bans.

In World Travel Market’s 2006 Global Trends Report, Euromonitor International claims that the gaming industry will be one of the strongest driving forces for tourism in the region.

However, the report warns that the area must avoid over saturation and allowing too much competition in the area; the Macau government announced this year that it will not grant any more casino licences and Singapore has said that it will not issue any licences further to the two existing ones.

The report also says that the main issue facing countries which invest in gaming tourism is the perceived ‘lower quality’ of tourist that gaming resorts attract and the subsequent potential for a rise in anti-social behaviour and crime. Details: www.wtmlondon.com