A new bitcoin gambling site has opened for beta testing, specifically targeting customers in the Asia region.
Based in South Korea, Satoshinori.com is available in Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and English.
It features an array of multi-player games including Seven Card Poker, Texas Hold-em and Matgo, plus simpler web based games like Rock Paper Scissors, Riding Ladder and Mine Sweeper. More are due to arrive in future.
Aiming for professional image
Satoshinori’s operator said the site is produced by a leading Korean game publishing company, with emphasis on fair games, low fees and security.
The site itself says:
“All customers’ deposited Bitcoins are stored securely with the safest and most qualified methods. Also, world renowned web engineers are participating to protect this site from hackings and DDOS cyber attacks.”
Bitcoin deposit and withdrawal addresses change with every transaction to add an extra layer of anonymity for users.
Satoshinori provides a list of bitcoin exchanges available in most countries for those acquiring bitcoins for the first time,
Proving bitcoin’s usefulness
The operator said bitcoin was chosen as the primary currency mainly for ease of setup and the relative anonymity it provides, particularly in parts of the target region where bitcoin businesses endured a degree of legal uncertainty.
Gambling sites also serve as a useful demonstration of bitcoin’s utility to the uninitiated, showing off how smoothly it works in a high-transaction environment and allowing commerce and transfers at any time of day or night, anywhere in the world.
This was another reason for setting up Satoshinori, the site’s owner added. Mainstream interest has been lagging in Northeast Asia and vendors proving a little slower to sign on to bitcoin than hoped.
Gambling sites could play a major role in stimulating the bitcoin economy by putting the currency into more hands.
Lucrative market
The legal online gaming market alone in the region was worth about $12.7bn, he continued, with that size possibly exceeding $49bn if illegal online gambling sites were considered.
The large majority of potential gamers reside in the countries Satoshinori targets with its language options, plus Taiwan.
Satoshinori now hopes to claim at least some of that market for bitcoin.
Image via Satoshinori