Japan’s House of Representatives recently approved a bill aimed at outlawing both the operation and advertisement of online casinos. As a result, the country is set to introduce tougher restrictions on online gambling. The measure revises existing legislation on gambling addiction. It gained strong backing from the ruling LDP or Liberal Democratic Party, as well as the main opposition CDP or Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
The bill bans the establishment of online casinos in Japan and criminalizes the promotion of such platforms through websites or social media. It also requires social media companies to remove content that promotes or links users to illegal gambling operations. The House of Councillors will now deliberate on the measure. It is also expected to be enacted by the end of the current parliamentary session, which concludes on June 22.
A growing wave of public concern over illegal online gambling in Japan prompted the move. A recent police survey revealed that an estimated 3.37 million people in the country have engaged in online casino activities, with annual expenditures reaching 1.24 trillion yen, or roughly $8.7 billion. Online casinos remain unauthorized in Japan, and participating in them from within the nation is illegal in spite of their legal status in some countries.
As of today, Japanese law imposes fines on those who access and wager on such platforms. The penalty can reach up to 500,000 yen. Under the Penal Code, repeat offenders can face imprisonment for up to three years. Japan strictly limits legal gambling to government-regulated options such as lotteries and betting on horse, boat, motorcycle, and bicycle races.
Authorities recently arrested 38-year-old Makoto Chomabayashi in what they called the biggest individual online gambling case in Japan’s history. An international online casino website allegedly allowed him to place bets worth nearly $194 million.
