GRU launches gaming operations in Timor-Leste
A subsidiary of the online lottery operator GD Lotto has been granted a license to operate in an island within the Malay Archipelago.
The newly launched company, Golden River Universe (GRU), aims to position Timor-Leste as âAsiaâs Malta,â establishing it as a reliable offshore center for digital gaming, innovation, and regulatory compliance. GRU will function under the supervision of the Inspectorate General of Gaming.
GD Lotto, the parent firm and Timor-Lesteâs leading online lottery operator, is also licensed in Cambodia and Nigeria, with services reportedly spanning over 10 countries. Following this expansion, GD Lotto announced it will relocate its research and development, customer service, and global support operations from Cambodia and the Philippines to Timor-Leste.
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, was under Portuguese rule for four centuries before Indonesia invaded in the mid-1970s. After years of occupation, the country gained independence in 2002 with support from the United Nations.
Currently, relations between Timor-Leste and Indonesia are positive. In October 2024, their leaders signed an agreement to foster mutual economic and social development. Indonesia also supports Timor-Lesteâs effort to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a move that could enhance the countryâs global standing and economic prospects.
GRU CEO Datuk Harry Ng, speaking to Tatoli News Agency, described the emerging gaming sector as a catalyst for national growth and a clear sign that Timor-Leste is ready to embrace the global digital economy.
