Online casino gambling is illegal in Japan. That hasn’t stopped people from getting their hands dirty, though. One group says they’ve seen a spike in consultations – and some are turning to crime to pay off the debts they’ve accumulated.
Tanaka Noriko, leader of the public interest corporation Society Concerned about the Gambling Addiction (ギャンブル依存症問題を考える会; gyanburu izonshou mondai o kangaeru kai) , says they’ve seen consultations over online gambling spike by 11 times over the past five years. The group received 91 consultations between January and November 2024 from people concerned about family members. In 2019, they received a mere eight inquiries.
The Society also said the addiction drives some to even more illegal activity. The group ran a survey of 681 of its members, most of whom are family members with a loved one struggling with addiction. A full 30% said their loved one had resorted to crimes such as embezzling or theft to feed their habit.
Unfortunately, the Internet makes both online gambling and crime easier than ever. Japan’s “Dark Gig” economy, or yami-baito (闇バイト), uses social media to lure the young and financially desperate into committing burglaries and other illegal activities on behalf of organized crime groups.
The only legal forms of gambling in Japan are horse racing, auto racing, cycling races, boat racing, and the lottery. Pachinko, another popular form of “gambling,” uses a complicated three-store structure to skirt the country’s gambling regulations.
A few years ago, Japan passed a new law that would legalize “integrated resorts” (IR), a.k.a. hotel properties with on-premises gambling. The goal is to compete with countries like the Phillipines, Cambodia, and Macau that attract big tourist dollars via casinos. Developers in several cities, including Osaka, are bidding on licenses for creating the first resorts in the country.
Besides potentially ruining you financially, online gambling in Japan carries a potential fine of 500,000 yen ($3,172). Habitual offenders risk up to three years in jail.
Discuss this article with other UJ fans on our Bluesky account or Discord server!
Help keep us going
We’re an independent site that keeps our content free of intrusive ads. If you love what we do, help us do more with a donation to the Unseen Japan Journalism Fund in any amount.
What to read next
Why Japan’s Disability Law Still Fails Disabled Students
An attorney who represents families in disability cases explains how gaps in the law leave some disabled students stranded.
Disabled Japanese Student’s iPad Exam Request Leads to Long Battle
In Japan, schools are supposed to make all reasonable accommodations for disabled students. One student says it wasn’t so easy.
As Japan’s Birth Rate Dwindles, Its Nursery Schools Keep Closing
Japan wants more women to give birth to counteract its declining birth rate. That’s hard to do when nursery schools are rapidly shuttering.
