I was wandering through Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Bintang district and noticed a post on a travel forum about a drop-board style casino game. Curious, I loaded plinko ball on my phone during a break at Pavilion Mall. The clean layout and the satisfying bounce of the virtual ball reminded me of childhood arcade visits. After a few cautious rounds I recouped earlier slot losses and then racked up enough to cover my afternoon tea. It felt like stumbling onto a late-night carnival mid-shopping trip.