Japan’s parliament has passed a bill that bans advertisements and promotional content directing users to overseas online casinos. The move aims to curb the rise in offshore gambling and address growing concerns about addiction and illegal betting activities.
What will the bill target?
While online casinos are legal in some other countries, using them from within Japan is illegal under the country’s Penal Code. The revised law outlaws the establishment and operation of online casinos and related apps within the country. It will take affect three months after it is formally announced later this month. It targets:
- Online advertisements linking to foreign gambling sites
- Social media posts encouraging the use of offshore platforms
- Ranking and recommendation websites (like “Top 10” casino lists)
- Affiliate links that funnel Japanese users to online casinos
While the new law does not impose direct criminal penalties on offenders, it empowers internet service providers (ISPs) and social media companies to proactively remove such illegal material. The National Police Agency (NPA) is expected to spearhead enforcement efforts by working closely with tech companies to ensure compliance. The Internet Hotline Center, a body that monitors harmful online content on behalf of the NPA, will now classify these gambling promotions as “illegal information.” The agency will be publishing guidelines outlining what constitutes a violation under the new law.
The ground reality
The NPA estimates that around 3.37 million Japanese citizens have engaged in illegal online gambling, with annual wagers totaling ¥1.2 trillion ($8.3 billion). A significant portion of these gambling platforms are legally licenced in regions like Curacao. However, Japan’s laws make it a criminal offense to gamble online from within the country—even on platforms that operate legally elsewhere.
In recent news, 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.
The proposed changes are a part of the government’s three-year plan to combat the escalating issue of online gambling addiction. The plan, unveiled in March, included intensified crackdowns on payment collection agencies and affiliates, individuals or entities promoting online casinos for commissions. It also called for businesses to prohibit advertisements for online casinos and new social media campaigns to remind the public of the illegality of such gambling activities.
Surge in illegal overseas sports betting
Meanwhile, concerns around illegal online gambling continue to grow in Japan. A recent report by the Tokyo-based Council for Sports Ecosystem Promotion revealed that residents in Japan placed an estimated ¥6.45 trillion ($44 billion) in bets last year on overseas sports gambling websites — which are illegal under Japanese law. Of this, around ¥1 trillion ($6.8 billion) was wagered on domestic sports such as baseball, football, and basketball, raising concerns about match-fixing and athlete safety.
The report highlighted a sharp rise in the illegal cross-border sports betting market and noted that low public awareness and widespread access through smartphones have made enforcement difficult. In 2024, a record 279 people were arrested in Japan for involvement with online betting sites. Authorities are now pushing for greater international cooperation and public education to tackle the issue.
