Yahoo! Corporation and LINE Corporation and others integrated their management in October 2023 to form LINE Yahoo Corporation, according to a presentation by the company's search division published by Japan's National Police Agency1. The document describes the company as "ヤフー株式会社と LINE 株式会社等が 2023 年 10 月に経営統合してできた会社である"1.
The presentation, given by LINE Yahoo's Trust & Safety office, sets out how Yahoo! Search handles the online casino issue in Japan. The company began displaying an online casino suppression module in August 20241. The module carries the title "オンラインカジノを利用することは法律違反です" and links to a police awareness page when clicked or tapped1. It appears only when a user's search terms exactly match a list the company maintains in advance, and that list is revised based on search trends and news coverage1.
"「犯罪です」という言葉は「違法です」と言い換えている"
The company said it does not reorder or delete search results, citing search neutrality and the risk of damages claims from website operators1. It said it displays more than 10 modules on social issues in cooperation with government bodies1.
The presentation also gives search data for the term "オンラインカジノ". Search users rose sharply between January and February 2025, and February was more than 70 times higher than a year earlier1. The company attributed this to news coverage1. An earlier rise in May 2022 was linked to reports that a town in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Abu, mistakenly transferred money to an individual who then used it at an online casino1.
User attributes changed over three years. Three years earlier, men were about 80 percent of users, and people in their 30s were the largest group, with those in their 20s and 40s bringing the total above 80 percent1. In February 2025, men were 60 percent and women 40 percent, roughly double the earlier share of women, and users ranged fairly evenly from their teens to 70 and over, with those in their 40s the largest group1.
| Measure | Earlier period | February 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Share of men | about 80 percent | 60 percent |
| Share of women | about 20 percent | 40 percent |
| Largest age group | 30s | 40s |
| Age spread | 20s to 40s over 80 percent | teens to 70+ fairly even |
What it means for players
Japan's police and the operator of Yahoo! Search treat online casino gambling as illegal, and the warning module states this directly to people searching for it1. The module targets two groups the company defined: users who already use online casinos without knowing it is illegal, and users who do not yet use them and do not know it is illegal1. Anyone searching in Japan for terms on the company's list will see the notice and can reach the police awareness page from it1. The search data shows the audience for these terms is no longer mostly men in their 30s; women and a wider range of age groups now search for them1. Searches alongside "オンラインカジノ" include "違法", "合法" and "犯罪", as well as "逮捕", "書類送検" and "捕まる", which the company linked to news coverage1.
What happens next
The presentation gives no dated next steps beyond the module's August 2024 launch and the search-word list being revised as trends and news change1. No further announcements on the module are reported in the document1.
For background on which operators accept players in the region, see Online Casinos, Poker Rooms and Sportsbooks That Accept Players in Asia, and for the legal position in the country, see Can I Gamble in Japan?.
Sources1 sources
- kouen3.pdf, npa.go.jp
