Japan is intensifying its efforts against offshore online gambling by enacting new legislation to restrict access to foreign casino sites and reduce their visibility to local players. On Wednesday, the parliament passed amendments to ban online gambling advertisements, officially prohibiting the promotion of overseas casino sites.
Many of these platforms are legal and licensed abroad, but betting on them from within Japan remains illegal. The revised legislation, passed by the Upper House, resolves gray-area issues, covering banner ads, social media posts, and ranking websites directing users to these platforms. Social media posts leading users to such platforms will be considered violations. The new rules are set to take effect three months after their formal announcement later this month.
No updated criminal penalties are included in the legislation, but it allows internet providers and social media platforms to remove infringing content more efficiently. Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) anticipates this move will significantly limit public access to offshore casinos. The Internet Hotline Center, which identifies harmful content for the NPA, is preparing to categorize this promotional material as “illegal information,” enabling it to issue takedown notices. Guidelines outlining violations are expected before the law’s implementation.
This action follows a series of celebrity scandals related to illegal gambling, prompting authorities to adopt a more aggressive stance. An NPA survey revealed that only 40% of users were aware of the practice’s illegality, with awareness especially low among people in their 20s. Officials estimate around 3.37 million Japanese residents gamble on offshore sites, wagering approximately ¥1.2 trillion ($8.3 billion) annually.
In response, the NPA is enhancing public education through stadium and cinema warnings and distributing 100,000 leaflets with assistance from local partners. Efforts also reach beyond Japan, as the Foreign Ministry requests that regulators in places like Curaçao restrict access for Japanese users, including removing Japanese-language interfaces. Discussions on more technical solutions, such as fully blocking access to offshore sites, are ongoing, though concerns about privacy and legality remain, which the communications ministry is reviewing. Meanwhile, Japan considers adding two more integrated resorts to the industry.
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- Source: SCCGManagement.com