HappiStar is an online gambling portal focused on the Asian markets, but allowing play from some other areas. The site is presented in English as well as several Asian languages and welcomes players from Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand, among other countries.

Sports and race betting, live dealer casino games, and over 800 electronic games are available to play on any device.

The site originally launched in 2014 with an offering tailored specifically for Japan. It is now operated by Blackbox, with the site displaying the Philippines (NCGAC) license number No. 4051412308-01.

While assets may have changed hands since then, as of late 2017, the brand was one of four owned by Valhalla Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sweden's iGaming holding company, GoldBlue AB - a firm founded by start-up investors in NYX and ELK Studios.

While the preceding information may not be of great interest to many players, it is presented as the foundation for this review as both companies mentioned are stellar enterprises in the western world.

ELK games are found in nearly every licensed European online casino. NYX was conveyed to Scientific Games for 631 million USD in 2017 after a tremendous run of acquisitions in the years leading up to the sale.

Many Asian-facing online gambling sites have dubious backing, at best. That is not the case with HappiStar.

Software and Games

The site can be accessed over the internet on any desktop, laptop, tablet, or handheld device. For those who prefer an added layer of privacy, an Android APK app is available onsite. However, it is not needed in order to play on any modern web browser.

The site and user interface are fully mobile responsive. Simply resizing a browser window results in an immediate reconfiguration of the viewable area. At precisely the correct aspect, the flyout border menu on the left disappears and is replaced by a 'hamburger' menu with three horizontal lines.

Betting Choices

We'll briefly mention sports here and then move directly to the slots and live casino offerings. The revamped 3-column sports menu opens with an in-play soccer/football menu with lines updating in real time. Be quick if you want to grab an over/under!

The standard book offers over a dozen of the most popular sports. Under soccer, we found over 400 options when we visited with more than 300 early markets.

Navigation is well mapped and intuitive. Sorting and line views are user-defined and obvious. Price formats include Decimal, Hong Kong, Malay, Indonesian, and American. Transition to the casino and slots is immediate on mobile or desktop with no lag or latency.

Xiaomi is supported for sports and casino.

While we didn't install the native Android app, the site performed brilliantly on Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari handset browsers.

Live Casino

The live dealer games are provided by Microgaming with Playboy Live Dealers presenting. The video and audio stream in high definition and fidelity and support is multilingual.

For players not familiar with the offering, it is a premier quality suite of games such as baccarat, blackjack, sic bo, and roulette streamed from state-of-the-art studios and hosted by well-trained, professional, and attractive croupiers and dealers.

The virtual interface is second to none with full statistics, auto-bet, and multi-table options. Instant replays are available as every hand or spin is recorded and archived.

Slots

Finding the games you want to play is nearly effortless in the slots lobby. Choose from categories including New & Updated and the Captain's Pick.

Further options include Providers, Ratings, and Favourites.

Providers include:

• Microgaming - with Quickfire partners
• Habanero - including table games
• Pragmatic Play - plus baccarat
• Booming Games - Asia Wins, Astro Pandas. etc.
• Play'n GO - with table games

Progressive jackpot slots and several timeless Microgaming favorites are found under the Ratings tab. Look for Tomb Raider, Bush Telegraph, and Tally Ho alongside Mega Break da Bank Again, Mega Moolah Isis, Major Millions, and King Cashalot to name a few.

Favourites may change dynamically as you play or may be based on popularity or another metric - that was unclear. However, Fa Cai Shen, Dragonz, Journey to the West, and Lucky Dragons were among the titles featured when we visited.

Bonuses and Promotions

The promos page is loaded with offers for everything from sports and live casino offers to a generous welcome bonus and more.

Wagering requirements are reasonable and extremely competitive. Many lower percentage matches even carry lower playthrough requirements such as 18x rather than 20x deposit plus bonus, for example.

Whereas it can be nearly impossible for players in some regions to find match bonus for live table play, the offer we viewed was not only generous but features low playthrough requirements seldom seen elsewhere.

All told, there were more than twenty incentives listed on the promos page, almost any one of which could be enjoyed as a welcome bonus.

Each offer will have its own terms clearly stated. As long as you are not trying to cheat the system by using a VPN or other masking technology, you will see the offers available to you locally.

While there are some normal and common bonus details listed in the General Terms & Conditions, there are no caveats, surprises, or loopholes that could benefit the casino over the player. What you see in the offer you click on is what you get!

Banking and Customer Service

Your location will help determine which deposit and withdrawal methods may be best for you. When you enter the banking screen any deposit fees will be clearly visible by the method.

If Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency options are available in your area they will appear on the banking screen once you are logged in.

Withdrawals are processed to the same method used to deposit. If you deposit via Visa or Mastercard, you may need to make a deposit with Venus Point, iWallet, or Ecopayz to withdraw that way. Please see onsite FAQ for details. Very small withdrawals on some methods such as Eco or iWallet may incur a small fee.

Withdrawals are instant.

One of the driving forces of the brand is their personal touch philosophy.

• Expect fast and professional customer service 24/7 every day of the year. Your hosts are always online, rain or shine, dark or light
• Look for quick and effortless deposits and withdrawals, carried out smoothly every time with the highest integrity
• Choose your preferred channel of communication and enjoy direct, personal engagement in your own language

Pitfalls

• Must be logged in to see some options
• Fees may apply to some deposits and withdrawals
• Must deposit with an eWallet in order to withdraw to one

The Final Word

HappiStar is a premier gambling and gaming site licensed in the Philippines. The highly professional organization is backed by industry veterans with deep financial histories in the industry making it a solid choice.

The ability to bounce effortlessly from the sportsbook to casino games without transferring funds is a great convenience.

The site's owner, GoldBlue AB, is listed on NGM Nordic MTF. The strong financial backing of the operation allows them to offer bonuses and promotions with better chances for players in an effort to win them over with personal customer service, smooth banking, and an excellent assortment of games.

HappiStar has all of the ingredients needed to become the most popular online gaming site in Asia.