About this app
About Imperial Dragon
Across some 8,000 pachinko parlours in Japan, machines filled with metallic balls fill expansive spaces, similar to slot machines on a casino floor. Winning balls are tallied and exchanged for non-cash prizes at the parlour, which can then be taken to nearby third-party exchange outlets for cash.
“Pachinko is a huge part of the culture,” says Leckert. She explains the “ease of walking into a pachinko parlour” is irreplaceable.
The sheer scale of pachinko underscores Japan’s complex relationship with gambling. Valued at around $130 billion in 2020, the industry represented roughly 2.5% of Japan’s GDP, highlighting its significant place in the country’s leisure economy.
What is Imperial Dragon?
Prediction market volume attributable to “takers”—recreational and retail traders who pull liquidity from exchanges—is forecast to reach $190 billion this year.
That estimate arrives courtesy of Macquarie and is well ahead of the research firm’s previous estimate of $169 billion in 2026 taker volume.
Takers is a prediction market industry colloquialism for the market participants that swiftly fill buy and sell orders, thus removing liquidity from the marketplace. Conversely, makers are the market participants viewed as liquidity providers and professional or sharp money.
How to play Imperial Dragon
We like Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison to get in amongst the goals in a win for The Whites and that’s at a very tasty price given Jack Grealish is likely to be out for six weeks and the Villains are also missing Matty Cash, who would have been man-marking Harrison if fit. In fact, this is our bet of the week.
Our tip: Jack Harrison to score and Leeds to win (4/1)
Chelsea vs. Manchester United (Sunday, 4.30pm GMT kick-off)
