Japan’s House of Representatives approved a legislative revision aimed at tightening controls on illegal online gambling, specifically prohibiting websites and platforms from directing users to online casino sites. The lower chamber of parliament cleared the bill on 3 June (Tuesday) by a majority vote.
Aimed at tackling gambling addiction
The bill, an amendment to the country’s law addressing gambling addiction, was prompted by recent high-profile cases involving athletes and celebrities participating in unauthorised virtual casino platforms. A March survey by the National Police Agency found that 3.37 million people in Japan are estimated to have gambled at online casinos, with around 1.24 trillion yen (about $8.6 billion) being spent annually.
Accessing online casino remains prohibited in Japan. Despite this, such platforms are often easily accessible through smartphones, creating a growing concern among authorities. The revised law, expected to be enacted before the end of the current parliamentary session on June 22, bans the opening of online casino websites and criminalises the dissemination of content aimed at attracting users to these services.
The bill also calls on social media platforms to actively remove illegal gambling-related information from their sites. Offenders found accessing or placing bets on these unauthorised platforms could face fines of up to 500,000 yen, with habitual gambling punishable by up to three years in prison under the Penal Code. The bill was submitted last month during the Diet session to revise existing laws and clearly prohibit the operation and promotion of online casino platforms.
The move followed consultations between eight political parties and parliamentary groups, including the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japan Innovation Party, the Democratic Party for the People, the Japanese Communist Party, Reiwa Shinsengumi, and Yushi no Kai.
What is legal?
While online casinos are legal in some other countries, using them from within Japan is illegal under the country’s Penal Code. However, many users remain unaware of this. To address the lack of public knowledge, the revised bill calls on both central and local governments to run awareness campaigns informing people that online casinos are illegal. Legal gambling in Japan remains restricted to government-sanctioned lotteries and betting on specific public sports, including horse, bicycle, boat, and motorcycle racing.
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.
