Japan's National Police Agency released its first survey on online casinos on March 13, 2025, finding that an estimated 3.37 million people in Japan have placed bets on overseas casino websites1. NPA Commissioner General Yoshinobu Kusunoki said at a press conference that day that the agency would crack down on agents and affiliates advertising online casino websites1.
The survey examined 40 overseas casino websites that can be used in the Japanese language and found that six appeared to be aimed exclusively at Japan, with connections only from users in Japan1. Gambling is illegal in Japan under the Penal Code except for publicly licensed betting activities such as horse racing and keirin cycling races, and it is illegal to access and gamble on overseas casino websites from Japan even where those sites operate legally abroad1. The report said awareness of this among users is not widespread1.
The NPA's findings point to Japan-based payment service agents as the main channel for bets. These agents work with casino operators, issue users points based on the money they pay in, and handle winnings, receiving commissions that vary by contract, with some taking 0.5% or as much as 7%1. Police cases cited in the report include:
| Case | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tokyo, 2023 | An agent in Shibuya Ward using the Sumo Pay payment 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 so-called Rivaton group, suspected of concealing criminal funds, managed about 4,000 bank accounts under the names of about 500 companies 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. A basic plan to combat gambling addiction, which includes measures against payment service operators involved with online casinos, was approved by the Cabinet on Friday1.
"We will firmly crack down on agents and affiliates who advertise online casino websites."
What it means for players
For anyone in Japan, the legal position described in the report is that accessing and betting on an overseas online casino from Japan is illegal, regardless of whether the operator is licensed in another country1. The report says many users do not realize this: one man in his 20s who gambled on online slot machines said 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, so the payment route itself is a source of exposure. The report also notes that agents recruit customers through social media and that some were involved in a tokuryu, or anonymous and fluid criminal group1. The wider legal picture across the region is set out in our guide to online gambling in Asia, and the mechanics of how such sites handle deposits and withdrawals are covered in our explainer on live dealer casinos.
What happens next
The NPA's December instruction to police nationwide to clamp down on illegal payment service agents remains in force1. The report cites Germany as an example of a country that has prohibited financial institutions from conducting business transactions with illegal casino operators, and Waseda University Prof. Takashi Kubota said Japan's public and private sectors should quickly share information on casino websites and payment accounts and put in place a framework that blocks the use of illegal casinos by preventing transactions1. No further dated steps have been reported.
