Gambling Trips From Japan

Where Japanese travellers can gamble legally nearby

Pachinko, horse racing, keirin, boat racing, auto racing and the sports lotteries all operate in Japan, the first in a gray zone and the rest as public gambling that returns proceeds to social welfare⁸. Cash prizes for poker tournament winners are not legally possible, and gambling-related activities are restricted by law¹. You can read more about all of this in our guide to gambling in Japan.

A casino trip abroad is a different matter. Japanese criminal law does not apply to a Japanese national who gambles at a casino that is legal in the country visited, because the acts occur entirely abroad and no Japanese social legal interest is harmed⁶. In plain terms: if the casino is legal where you are standing, Japanese law does not punish you for playing there.

That leaves three realistic destinations within a few hours' flying time:

Singapore also has casinos, but its online gambling rules and the end of its horse racing make it a different kind of trip, covered in its own section below.

Macau: the only place in China where casinos are legal

Macau is the only location in China offering legalized casino gaming¹. That status dates back to the territory's history as a Portuguese enclave, and it is why the world's largest concentration of casino floors sits on the edge of the Pearl River Delta, an easy flight from Tokyo or Osaka.

One thing to know before planning a trip: mainland Chinese visitors need visas to travel to the province¹¹, which is part of why the casino floors are so international. Japanese travellers should check their own current entry requirements before booking, as visa rules change.

Macau's public gambling landscape has narrowed. Horse racing was abolished in April 2024, and all public gambling other than casinos has now disappeared from the territory⁹. A casino trip to Macau today is exactly that: casinos, plus the hotels, shows and restaurants attached to them.

The minimum age to enter a casino in Macau is 21. Law 10/2012 raised the entry age from 18 to 21, and the rule now applies to anyone entering, playing in or working in a casino in the territory¹², so plan accordingly for anyone under 21 in your group.

South Korea: 16 foreigner-only casinos plus Kangwon Land

South Korea has 17 licensed land-based casinos, and 16 of them are legally reserved exclusively for foreign passport holders and expats². This arrangement has been in place for decades: the 16 foreigner-only venues have competed for limited inbound players since they were statutorily restricted to foreigners¹³.

For a Japanese visitor, this works in your favor. You walk in with your passport, the staff check your nationality at the door, and you play¹⁴. The foreigner-only venues are marked "Foreigners Only (19+)", so the minimum age is 19². One example is PARADISE CITY near Incheon, whose PARADISE CASINO is a casino exclusively for foreigners¹⁵.

The exception is Kangwon Land, in a remote mountainous region of Gangwon province, and it is the only casino in South Korea where citizens are legally permitted to gamble². It was permitted by a Special Act that allows one casino business establishment with access for both domestic nationals and foreigners¹³, and it has been South Korea's only casino open to locals since it opened¹⁶. Japanese visitors can enter Kangwon Land like any other guest; it simply has the advantage of being open to Korean companions too, which the other 16 venues are not.

Okada Manila: 500 tables and 3,000 machines on a 44-hectare site

If you want the biggest single venue within easy reach of Japan, Okada Manila in the Philippines is it. The resort sits on a 44-hectare property inside the 100-hectare Entertainment City zone on Manila Bay, and it was touted at launch as the largest casino resort in the Philippines¹⁷.

The numbers behind it:

• A casino development of 41,000 square meters, with 500 table games and 3,000 electronic games⁵
• Space for up to 500 gaming tables and 3,000 electronic gaming machines⁴
• Over 26,000 square meters of gaming space, the largest in the Philippines¹⁷
• A two-wing hotel with 993 rooms⁴
• Over 40 dining venues¹⁸

The resort opened in stages. It had a soft opening, which the promoter called a "preview period," on December 21, then officially launched its casino operations on December 30, and unveiled many of its key amenities and facilities, including hotel rooms, restaurants and shops, on March 31⁴. Bookings were accepted at discounted rates for hotel stays covering March 31 to April 30⁴.

Beyond the gaming floor, the property includes a premium retail promenade with exclusive and casual outlets, a spa and wellness center, a dome nightclub, an indoor beach club that can hold 4,500 people, and casual and signature dining restaurants⁵. Its most photographed feature is a 100-meter (328 feet) dancing water fountain, paired with the indoor beach¹⁷.

For Japanese guests specifically, the resort has added Ariake, an exclusive gaming club curated for Japanese VIP guests, alongside its other exclusive clubs, Perlas, Maharlika and the VIP Club¹⁸. The company behind the resort has also scouted expansion sites in the provinces of Palawan and Davao, with development likely to start within a few years of its opening¹⁷.

Singapore: casinos yes, racing and online no

Singapore legalized casino gambling in 2005, when its ban on casino gambling was removed¹⁹, and its two integrated resorts are open to visitors. But two things have changed since, and both matter for a Japanese traveller planning a trip.

First, horse racing in Singapore was abolished in October 2024¹⁰, so a racing-plus-casino itinerary is no longer possible there.

Second, online gambling is completely off limits. All forms of online gambling have been forbidden in Singapore since 2014, and players caught gambling online face a fine of up to $5,000 or a six-month prison sentence¹⁹. Most remote online casinos that market to Singaporeans are not authorized there²⁰. If you are in Singapore, do not log into an online casino, even one you use elsewhere.

Singapore citizens and permanent residents face a minimum age of 21 to enter casinos, under the Casino Control Act 2006²⁰. Visitors should check the current entry levy rules before visiting.

Online gambling: where it is banned for players

The single most important rule on this page: gambling on an online casino by connecting from inside Japan is a crime, even if the operator is legally run overseas²¹. The National Police Agency states this plainly, and police strictly enforce it regardless of whether the casino is legal in the country where it is based⁷. Free versions and point-based play are covered too: the Consumer Affairs Agency warns that connecting from Japan to gamble, including on free versions, is a crime²³.

The reasoning, from official research, is that using a smartphone in Japan makes it a domestic crime harming Japanese social legal interest; a foreign license does not justify it, and a mistaken belief that it is legal does not negate intent⁶. Online pachinko is likewise illegal²⁴.

Operators themselves are split on the question. Many offshore casinos welcome players from Japan, though none of them are specifically legal for the operator to deliver or for the players to bet at²⁵. Some operators take the opposite view and block Japan entirely: Bitcasino's terms state that to play from Japan is prohibited²⁶. Pinnacle's terms list a long set of restricted countries, including Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and the People's Republic of China, plus any other country that may prohibit online gambling to its residents²⁷. Japan is not on that particular list, but that says nothing about Japanese law, which is covered above.

The practical takeaway: a casino trip abroad is fine under Japanese law; an online casino session from your sofa in Osaka is not. We cover this subject in more detail in our guide to online gambling in Japan.

Age and ID rules at the door

Age and ID rules vary by destination, so here they are in one place.

In Japan's public gambling. The public sports gambling of horse racing, keirin, boat racing and auto racing requires players to be 20 or older²³. The sports lottery (BIG, toto, WINNER, DUNK) prohibits purchase by anyone under 19²⁸. Pachinko parlors may ask for an ID, such as a passport, from anyone who looks younger than 18²⁹.

At Japan's future casinos. The IR Development Act sets the minimum age for casino entry at 20, and bans persons under 20, organized crime (boryokudan) members, persons with unpaid entry fees, and persons exceeding entry frequency limits from entering casino facilities²². For Japanese nationals and foreign residents of Japan, the law adds limits on the number of entries, an entry fee levy, and restrictions on lending by casino operators³⁰. At the door, entrants must present their My Number card and verify identity on each entry and exit of the casino gaming area; foreigners without residence in Japan and certain foreign residents use a passport instead³¹. You can read more about the domestic picture in our guide to casinos in Japan.

In Macau. Entry to Macau casinos is restricted to persons aged 21 and over¹².

In South Korea. The foreigner-only casinos are marked "Foreigners Only (19+)"², and a passport is required for the nationality check at entry¹⁴.

In the Philippines. Okada Manila's own materials have listed both 18 and 21 as the minimum age at different times, so bring a passport and expect the stricter rule to apply.

In Singapore. Citizens and permanent residents must be 21 to enter²⁰.

A passport is the one document that works everywhere on this page. Carry it, keep a copy in your hotel safe, and check the venue's current age rule before you go.