Japan's Cabinet approved a basic plan to combat gambling addiction on Friday March 21, 2025, including measures against payment service operators involved with online casinos, according to The Japan News1. The approval followed a National Police Agency survey, the agency's first on online casinos, which found that an estimated 3.37 million people in Japan have placed bets on overseas casino websites1.
Gambling is illegal in Japan under the Penal Code except for publicly licensed betting such as horse racing and keirin cycling, and accessing overseas casino sites from Japan is illegal even where those operators are licensed abroad1. The NPA found that of 40 overseas casino websites available in Japanese, six appeared aimed exclusively at Japan, with connections only from users in Japan1. Users typically bet with points bought from the site, paying by credit card, bank transfer, crypto assets or other methods1.
Payment service agents based in Japan handle bets and winnings for users, taking commissions that vary by contract, with some taking 0.5% or as much as 7%1. Police cases cited by the newspaper include:
| Case | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tokyo, 2023 | An agent in Shibuya Ward using the Sumo Pay processing system handled more than ¥50 billion from about 42,000 customers and took a 2% to 3% cut from the casino operator; the system has since been shut down1 |
| Kanagawa, February 2025 | An agent managing about 500 bank accounts collected about ¥90 billion in bets since 2023 and netted about ¥4.7 billion in commissions1 |
| Osaka and Aichi, 2024 | The Rivaton group, suspected of concealing criminal funds, managed about 4,000 bank accounts under about 500 company names and had contracts with about 50 casino operators1 |
In December the NPA instructed police nationwide to thoroughly clamp down on payment service agents operating illegally1. The newspaper reported that Germany and other European countries have introduced measures prohibiting financial institutions from conducting business transactions with illegal casino operators1.
"We want to work with relevant ministries and agencies to dismantle the business model of illegal gambling"
What it means for players
Under Japanese law, betting on overseas online casinos from Japan is illegal, whether the operator is licensed elsewhere or not, and the NPA survey indicates awareness of this is not widespread1. One man in his 20s who gambled on online slot machines told the newspaper it was easy to send money for bets and that he did not think it was illegal1. Police have used information obtained from payment agents to identify online casino users and are continuing to uncover suspected gambling cases1. The plan approved by the Cabinet covers measures against the payment agents that sit between users and casino operators, not the users themselves, and no change to the legal status of players is reported1. Details of how the measures will apply to individuals, and any penalties or enforcement steps aimed at bettors, have not been reported1. For background on how Japan treats gambling and online casinos, see Can I Gamble in Japan? and Can I Play at Online Casinos in Japan?. Information on warning signs, self-exclusion and support services across the region is in Safer Gambling in Asia, with definitions and clinical background in What Is Gambling Disorder? and Signs of a Gambling Problem.
What happens next
The Cabinet approved the plan on Friday March 21, 20251. The NPA instructed police nationwide in December to thoroughly clamp down on illegally operating payment service agents1. No further dated steps, including any timetable for the plan's measures or new legislation, have been reported1.
