Record number of online casino users detected by Japan police in 2024

Gambling addiction is endemic in Japan. It used to be only pachinko, but now online sites invite addicts 24/7. I know of many people who have lost their lives to this. That said, prison is not the remedy but mental treatment for those afflicted.

I wonder whether the use of online sports gambling sites like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM is illegal in Japan?

It’s probably best if it is because successful gamblers are apparently kicked off those sites quickly, according to an undercover series coordinated and broadcast on the latest Michael Lewis “Against the Rules” podcast.

Gambling addiction is endemic in Japan. It used to be only pachinko, 

Horse racing gambling has been enormous for decades in Japan. Gambling on Speedboat racing, keirin and motorcycle racing is also very big.

Why gambling illegally if you can buy bitcoin legally?

I just checked the price of bitcoin this morning. It was

US$ 98,428.

In 2008, when I came to this interesting country, it was just a few cents on the dollar.

Gambling is illegal in Japan even if an online casino is operating legally overseas.

Funny. I guess those Pachinko parlors and Slots centers are just fancy names for Game centers.

Big deal. Stop with the nanny state crap.

I play chance, go bankrupt due to inflation, or win some money to pay for food.

Just a mite hypocritical, no?

Already, work has started on Yumeshima’s casino and hotel in Kansai.

Ban gambling along with pornography and make the world a better and safer place especially for women and the children.

Police have been able to track down more users of online gambling sites by looking at the bank accounts of the businesses handling bets in Japan

So…. why not just shut those businesses down?

falseflagsteveToday  06:50 pm JST

Ban gambling along with pornography and make the world a better and safer place especially for women and the children.

How do you suppose they could find the time, the money and the manpower to enforce such bans?

Simon Foston

where there’s a will there’s a way as my dear old gran used to say.

""Pachinko (パチンコ) is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling.""

Source: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/en:pachinko

What the hell is the Diff.???

Westerners calls it a Casino, Japan calls it a Pachinko both are GAMBLING where you win or lose cash$$$ and yet some still insist that gambling in Japan is Illegal!! LOL

Hypocrisy to say the least, if Pachinko is not gambling then what is it???

Police need to focus on real crime. Japanese seriously focus on the wrong things.

Betting at online casinos is banned in Japan, even if sites are legally operated overseas. On the social media platform X, many posts advertise casino websites in Japanese. One site said customers can start playing games in seven minutes. Another said more than 4,000 games are available.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15524549#:~:text=Betting%20at%20online%20casinos%20is,than%204%2C000%20games%20are%20available.

Government can't tax those gambing sites.

The real number is probably 2 million plus!

good job J police!

Ban gambling along with pornography and make the world a better and safer place especially for women and the children.

hahahahahahahahaha what bubble do you live in?? Tosser!

"Gambling is illegal in Japan even if an online casino is operating legally overseas."

Doesn't seem all that illegal at the boat or horse races, and aren't they building a casino in Osaka? Nothing quite says the hypocrisy of it all here like gambling, except maybe prostitution.

Control ! The authorities wish to control and then tax, that's all it is, control !

" Gambling is illegal in Japan "

Unless you run a pachinko arcade, a race track or donate large sums to jimin so you can build your own casino .

You cannot win cash in a pachinko parlour, you can only win items which you can, if you so wish, exchange for cash on premises separate from the PP and operated by a different legal entity. That is how they get around the law.

In addition to the Takarakuji Lottery it is legal to gamble on horse racing, bicycle racing, powerboat racing, and some motorcycle racing events.

Seems like Gambling is bad unless it is on Japanese race tracks that generate tax for Japan, Japanese cycle tracks that generate tax for Japan, Japanese speedway tracks that generate tax for Japan, Japanese boat races that generate tax for Japan and Japanese lotteries that also generate tax for Japan. Any other gambling is obviously immoral and needs to be dealt with severely. And of course pachinko isn't gambling.... Except in the minds of every single person to have ever played it.

Some people agree that lucky bags are a gateway to gambling. I am one of them.

If the government can geoblock youtube channels that discuss anime themes and reviews in English, they can geoblock casinos. Me thinks they want to catch people, while also trying to quickly setup legal physcial gambling domestically right?

How dare anyone gamble on things beside boat racing, motorcycle racing and bicycle racing!

How dare anyone gamble on things beside boat racing, motorcycle racing and bicycle racing!

Horse race betting is also legal, and many official lotteries are also offered. Of course, in a wider sense, there are countless possibilities, from pachinko parlors up to everything dealt at stock exchanges, nisa, ideco, forex and the many crypto currencies and tokens.

But in fact, much more safely and legally as well with better chances or low house advantages respectively, everyone can make a short ride by ship or plane and gamble his upmost possible at real physical casinos in many nearby Asian countries. So there's really not any need to complain anything or to bet and gamble illegally.

@Sven Asai

There is also unofficial betting on sumo that is never prosecuted. Every once in a blue moon a mahjong parlour gets busted for gambling but that is mostly winked at.

"Gambling is illegal in Japan."

But, I thought Japan recently approved a casino to be built in Osaka? Also, what about horse racing?

Asiaman7Feb. 15  05:20 pm JST

I wonder whether the use of online sports gambling sites like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM is illegal in Japan?

It’s probably best if it is because successful gamblers are apparently kicked off those sites quickly, according to an undercover series coordinated and broadcast on the latest Michael Lewis “Against the Rules” podcast.

I listened to this. Lewis said users of these sports gambling sites will eventually be stigmatized as stupid.

“If you're there, you're dumb. They kick out anybody who can beat the system. On a list of questions I would ask a financial advisor: Do you have a DraftKings account?”

If you do, you lose money and have no business being a financial advisor.

@factchecker

" Gambling is illegal in Japan "

Unless you run a pachinko arcade, a race track or donate large sums to jimin so you can build your own casino .

Exactly, complete with prize exchange counter in each parlor, that it will accepted as legal, among other condition need to be satisfied.

I believe gambling with unregulated overseas entities is illegal in Japan, same as other asian places. regulation is the key = taxation. why complain, non-gamblers gain. Horse racing is regulated, I am now able bet on the yashuda, Derby etc via a cumminglee arrangement between JJC and HKJC. Odds are trusted. payouts regulated. Controlled betting protects citizens and benefits societies. HKJC is the largest charity donator OK if you knock it your choice, if you backdoor it your risk

I've never understood the attraction to gambling. I find it weird to spend money with no guarantee of receiving anything in return. Men, especially, seem to do it the most.

The only exception for me has been 25c slot machines in Vegas and Reno. I lose a few spins. I win a few spins. And, with the right machine, it can be pretty entertaining for an hour or two, whether I win or lose

I would usually end up winning by the end of each session. Sometimes a modest amount, like $30. Sometimes a coupla hundred $$. Occasionally, I'd lose $30 or $40. Sometimes, I'd break even. But, even when I lost, it was worth the $30 or so for a couple hours of entertainment.

Occasionally, I'd lose $30 or $40. Sometimes, I'd break even. But, even when I lost, it was worth the $30 or so for a couple hours of entertainment.

Yes, that is how it should be looked at. At the real casinos it is really funny and entertaining. I can only speak about the South Korean places, where they have also limitless free drinks, even alcoholic ones, delicious free meals or sometimes other gimmicks or presents for returning customers. When choosing a low house advantage game like roulette for example, you can spend a whole day freely entertained and without losing anything, but also not winning significantly. The problem is only if you begin to develop a hunger for their money and want to win big at all costs or regain former temporary losses. Then they got you and squeeze your wallet empty and you very probably end up deep in red.

The only reason why this is illegal in Japan is because the J Govt. can't get any money from casino sites hosted in other countries.

falseflagsteveFeb. 15  07:12 pm JST

Simon Foston

where there’s a will there’s a way as my dear old gran used to say.

Did she now. I assume she was a law enforcement professional who knew what she was talking about when it comes to this kind of issue then.