Japan enforces new law to restrict online gambling and ads
Japan has enforced new regulations from Thursday (25 September) to tackle gambling addiction, banning online gambling advertisements and prohibiting the launch of new online casinos.
The legislation was passed by parliament in June and came into force three months later. While the law does not introduce strict penalties for those who fail to comply, operators are expected to face pressure to shut down if police issue closure orders. Social media companies and website administrators will also be required to remove gambling-related advertisements when instructed by authorities.
Ban on gambling advertisements
The revised law targets the growing spread of gambling promotions online. Advertisements have been found on YouTube, in smartphone applications, and even during basic online activities such as opening a bank account.
It specifically bans celebrity endorsements of gambling, recognising the influence of public figures in shaping consumer behaviour. The law also extends to affiliate websites, ranking platforms and promotional links that direct Japanese users to overseas gambling sites.
Although online casinos are legal in some jurisdictions abroad, accessing them from within Japan remains illegal under the country’s Penal Code.
Rising numbers of online gamblers
Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) has raised concerns about the rapid growth of online gambling in recent years. According to a survey conducted earlier this year, around 3.37 million people in Japan have engaged in online gambling. Nearly 60 percent of them are aged in their 20s and 30s, raising concerns over addiction among younger groups.
The NPA estimates that Japanese residents place wagers worth ¥1.24 trillion (about US$8.4 billion) every year on online casinos. Many of these platforms are licensed in foreign jurisdictions such as Curaçao, Malta, and Gibraltar, but remain illegal to use from Japan.
In response, the Japanese government has asked eight countries and regions—including Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, Malta, Anjouan Island in the Comoros, Curaçao, and the British territories of the Isle of Man and Gibraltar—to block Japanese residents from accessing their licensed platforms.
Gambling addiction and public impact
Concerns about gambling addiction have been highlighted by advocacy groups in the country. “The official number announced by the NPA and the health ministry on the number of deaths in relation to gambling debts is 398,” said Noriko Tanaka, head of the Society Concerned about Gambling Addiction. “But it is said that only 20 percent of suicides have their causes identified,” she added, suggesting that the actual number linked to gambling may be higher.
Tanaka noted that gambling advertisements often appear in everyday online use, including on YouTube and mobile apps. While welcoming tighter restrictions, she pointed out that the new law only applies to illegal online casinos and not to other forms of legal gambling in Japan.
High-profile cases drive urgency
Recent cases involving public figures have drawn attention to the spread of illegal gambling. Earlier this year, prosecutors investigated and indicted a member of the boy band JO1 over illegal gambling. At the same time, six comedians from the entertainment agency Yoshimoto Kogyo were also indicted for the same offence.
These incidents underlined how widespread gambling has become, including among celebrities and entertainers, prompting the government to act against celebrity endorsements in advertising.
Awareness campaigns by authorities
As part of the law, both national and local governments will be required to raise awareness of the risks of online gambling and addiction. Campaigns will highlight the illegality of gambling on overseas websites and promote information on the social harms linked to addiction.
The Internet Hotline Center, which monitors harmful online content on behalf of the NPA, will now classify gambling promotions as “illegal information” and coordinate with platforms to take them down.
The new rules form part of a three-year national plan to address online gambling, announced in March. The plan includes stricter enforcement against payment agencies and affiliates, as well as new public awareness initiatives.
Overseas sports betting concerns
Separate reports point to the growing challenge of illegal sports betting in Japan. According to the Council for Sports Ecosystem Promotion, Japanese residents placed an estimated ¥6.45 trillion (US$44 billion) in bets on overseas sports gambling websites in 2024.
Of this, about ¥1 trillion (US$6.8 billion) was wagered on domestic sports such as baseball, football, and basketball. The report highlighted potential risks to athlete safety and the possibility of match-fixing.
In 2024, police detained up to 279 persons for internet betting offences, the most ever recorded in a single year.
Balancing regulation and economic growth
Meanwhile, Japan still allows some legal types of gambling, such as horse racing, government-regulated sports betting, and the popular pachinko.
Japan is also moving ahead with plans to open its first integrated resort, MGM Osaka, in 2030. While gambling contributes billions to the economy each year, the government also needs to tackle the social risks it creates.
How Japan compares globally
Japan’s approach has also drawn comparisons with international practices. Charles Ritchie, co-founder of Gambling with Lives, a UK-based support group, said, “The biggest failure in the 2023 gambling white paper in the UK was that it did nothing about advertising. (Banning gambling advertisements) is absolutely essential, I think, to stop people from being dragged and drawn into gambling.”
Gambling law milestone
The new law is a key development in Japan’s gambling regulation, aiming to cut exposure to illegal gambling and prevent addiction through advertising restrictions, a ban on new online casinos, and awareness campaigns.
The move reflects Japan’s cautious stance towards gambling, as it looks to balance opportunities in the entertainment sector with stronger safeguards for its citizens.
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