Law banning online casino advertising passed and promulgated

Japan enacted and promulgated an amendment to the Basic Act on Countermeasures Against Gambling Addiction in June 2025 that prohibits presenting illegal online gambling websites or apps to unspecified persons in the country and disseminating information that directs users toward illegal online gambling¹. The law, Act No. 76 of 2025, was published on June 25, 2025 and takes effect on September 25, 2025¹.

The bill was submitted on May 30, 2025 by the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee as a committee-initiated proposal³. The law is formally titled the Act Partially Amending the Act on Basic Policy on Countermeasures against Gambling Addiction¹.

The National Police Agency lists prohibited conduct to include opening and operating online casino sites, listing online casino apps on app stores, posting online casino links or advertising on social media, and creating comparison sites that introduce online casino sites¹. The amendment also obliges national and local governments to take measures to ensure that the prohibition of illegal online gambling is thoroughly publicized through education and public relations activities in homes, schools, workplaces and communities¹.

The National Police Agency states that gambling from inside Japan on an overseas online casino is a crime even if the casino operates legally where it is based, and that online gambling is a crime regardless of its name or content, including baccarat, slots and sports betting¹. Under the Penal Code, a person who gambles faces a fine of up to 500,000 yen or a petty fine, while habitual gambling carries imprisonment of up to three years¹. The agency also states that using an online casino is prohibited whether it is a paid version, a free version or a free bonus².

What it means for players

The amendment targets the supply side of online gambling, not the act of betting itself, which was already an offense under the Penal Code¹. For players in Japan, the practical effect is that the channels through which they find and access offshore online casinos are now covered by the law, and the National Police Agency has said that gambling from Japan on an overseas site is a crime even where the operator is licensed abroad¹. The agency states that this applies to free versions and free bonuses as well as paid play². The law does not change the penalties for players, which remain a fine of up to 500,000 yen or a petty fine, or up to three years for habitual gambling¹.

What happens next

The law takes effect on September 25, 2025¹. The National Police Agency says police are pushing forward with enforcement against online gambling offenses and lists past cases including the arrest of players, operators, payment processors and affiliates¹. The agency has published public awareness posters and videos and operates a social media account to spread information about the illegality of online casino gambling¹.