The Japanese government has rolled out a new plan to stop the spread of illegal online gambling. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet gave the green light to a full plan that includes tougher rules for payment collection services and affiliate marketers who push offshore gambling sites.
Authorities Tighten Controls on Online Casinos as Gambling Addiction Surges in Japan
As online gambling becomes more popular in Japan, officials are working harder to stop addiction and make sure people follow current laws. The government’s plan aims to raise public awareness, push businesses to remove online casino ads, and start social media campaigns to remind people that online gambling is against the law.
Yoshitaka Ito, Japan’s minister in charge of gambling addiction measures, stressed the need to tackle the problem, reported The Japan Times. He pointed out a big jump in the number of people using illegal online casino sites. The National Police Agency (NPA) just put out a report. It estimates about 3.37 million Japanese residents have gambled online through foreign-run platforms. Of these, 1.97 million are active users. Together, they bet around ¥1.2 trillion ($8 billion) each year.
The increase in unlawful betting has an impact on a number of well-known scandals involving sports stars and celebrities. At the start of this year, Olympic table tennis medal winner Koki Niwa had to pay a ¥100,000 ($670) fine for gambling online, while 14 professional baseball players from various Nippon Professional Baseball teams were caught doing the same thing.
The issue goes beyond just sports. Tokyo’s police force is looking into several comedians tied to the Yoshimoto Kogyo talent agency. They suspect these comedians took part in online gambling. Kuruma Takahira, who is part of the well-known Reiwa Roman duo owned up to the claims. He said sorry on social media.
Critics Say Japan’s Online Gambling Crackdown Lacks Legal Backbone
The government’s new steps do not convince everyone. Groups fighting for change do not think these moves will work well. Noriko Tanaka heads a group that tries to stop gambling addiction. She slammed the lack of real legal action. She said that while the government talks about tighter controls, it is not clear how they will enforce these rules without new laws.
Japanese law bans online gambling through foreign operators even if these sites operate elsewhere. Lawbreakers can face fines up to ¥500,000 ($3,348), while those who break the law again might go to jail for up to three years. The government plans to crack down on illegal online casinos and might also restrict legal betting. Japan allows public sports betting on events like horse races and motorboat races, which have always drawn big crowds. Now, with more people using online platforms, officials are thinking about limiting online bets and banning credit card use for gambling.
