Japan asks foreign countries to block online casino access for its residents
Nearly two weeks after Japan’s lower house passed a bill to ban the operation of online casino websites, the government has asked eight countries and regions to block access for Japanese residents to their licensed platforms, according to local media reports citing a government source.
The source stated that officials have approached Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, Malta, Anjouan Island in the Comoros, Curaçao of the Netherlands, and the British territories of the Isle of Man and Gibraltar. The request urges operators licensed in those places to stop accepting traffic from Japan, where wagering with overseas‑based betting sites is a crime.
An examination of 40 Japanese‑language casino sites found every operator held a licence abroad, and about 70 percent were registered in Curaçao. Only two of the sites clearly told users that access from Japan is forbidden. Six sites relied entirely on visitors from Japan.
Bill targets advertising and referral links
The lower chamber’s bill revises the law on tackling gambling addiction. Once enacted—expected before the current Diet session ends on 22 June—it will bar websites from guiding users to casino platforms and press social‑media companies to delete illegal gambling promotions. Violators already face fines of up to ¥500,000, and habitual gamblers can be jailed for up to three years.
Online gambling’s rapid growth alarms authorities
Police estimate 3.37 million people in Japan have gambled online, spending about ¥1.24 trillion (US $8.6 billion) each year. Because the foreign sites operate legally under their own licences, Japanese investigators instead target payment agents and promoters who advertise the services on social media.
Limited legal betting options at home
Within Japan, gambling is restricted to lotteries and wagers on publicly run horse, bicycle, power‑boat and motorcycle races. The government says the new measures are needed after media reports revealed some professional athletes and celebrities had used online casinos via smartphones.
Officials plan to repeat their request to the eight jurisdictions once the revised law clears the upper house, aiming to curb access and reduce gambling‑related harm at home.
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