Japan's National Police Agency said the Internet Hotline Center (IHC) started taking reports of illegal online gambling related information from 25 September 2025, after revising the center's operational guidelines1. The IHC is the body that receives reports of illegal and harmful content online1.
Under the revised guidelines, three categories of information are now treated as illegal information, specifically as a violation of the Basic Act on Measures against Gambling and Other Addictions, and are therefore reportable to the IHC1:
| Reportable category | Example given |
|---|---|
| Opening and operating online casino sites | Online casino site operation |
| Listing online casino apps on app stores | App store listings |
| Distributing information that leads users to online casinos | Referral blogs, bonus codes, social media posts, promotional videos |
The agency listed the kinds of content that fall under the third category, including online casino blog posts, bonus codes, social media posts and promotional videos that direct users toward casino sites1. Reports are made through the IHC website at internethotline.jp1.
"違法オンラインギャンブル等関連情報を として通報を受け付けます"
The agency also stated that the IHC operational guidelines had been revised1. The notice does not set out what action follows a report, how reports are assessed, or any penalties attached to the listed categories. Those details have not been reported1.
What it means for players
The change concerns reporting channels, not the legal status of online gambling in Japan. What is new is that members of the public can now flag casino site operators, app store listings and referral content to the IHC as illegal information1. For players in Japan, the practical effect is that the sites, apps and promotional material they encounter may be reported and reviewed, and content that points users to casinos is now explicitly within scope1. The notice does not describe any new offense for individual players, any change to how players are treated, or any enforcement action against bettors. Anyone assessing the legal position for players in Japan should treat this as a reporting and takedown measure rather than a statement about player liability, which the notice does not address1. See Online Gambling in Asia: The Law for Players in 12 Jurisdictions and Can I Gamble in Japan? for the underlying rules, and Have Players Been Arrested for Online Gambling in Asia? Cases by Jurisdiction for how enforcement against players has worked in practice.
What happens next
The revised guidelines took effect on 25 September 20251. No further dates, review points or follow-up measures are given in the notice1.
Sources1 sources
- 20250925kaitei.pdf, npa.go.jp
