for early access to the latest igaming videos!
and get the latest igaming news first!
The Japanese government is taking a more hands-on approach to dealing with illegal online gambling by directly asking other countries and territories to help block their residents from accessing casino sites. This isn’t just about passing new laws anymore—it’s about getting foreign governments actually to do something about operators specifically targeting Japanese players.
Eight Jurisdictions Receive Direct Government Requests
What’s happening is pretty straightforward but also quite unusual for Japan’s typical diplomatic style. The government has reached out to eight specific places where most of these online casino operators get their licenses. These countries are: Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, Malta, Anjouan Island in the Comoros, Curaçao of the Netherlands, and the British territories of the Isle of Man and Gibraltar. These aren’t random choices either—these are exactly the places where the majority of Japanese-language casino sites are getting their legal permission to operate.
This diplomatic push happened just two weeks after Japan’s lower house passed legislation that specifically bans the operation of online casino websites. So they are not just making laws and hoping for the best; they’re actively trying to get other countries to enforce these restrictions on their end as well.
The Scale of the Problem Becomes Clear
When you look at the numbers that prompted this action, it becomes obvious why the government felt they needed to do something. A government examination of 40 Japanese-language casino sites found that every single operator held a license from abroad, and about 70% of them were registered in Curaçao. That’s a huge concentration in one particular jurisdiction, which probably made it easier for Japanese officials to know exactly where to focus their diplomatic efforts.
Two of those 40 sites told users that access from Japan is forbidden. Meanwhile, six sites relied entirely on visitors from Japan for their business. So this is not about operators who are accidentally serving Japanese customers—many of these are businesses that are specifically built around attracting Japanese players, even though gambling with overseas-based betting sites is a crime in Japan.
New Legislation Adds Weight to Diplomatic Pressure
The legislative changes that Japan is pushing through give more substance to these diplomatic requests. The bill that’s moving through the Diet right now will bar websites from guiding users to casino platforms and will require social media companies to delete illegal gambling promotions. Once this becomes law—and it’s expected to pass before the current Diet session ends on June 22—it will give Japanese officials stronger legal backing when they ask foreign jurisdictions to cooperate.
The penalties for violating these new rules are substantial, too. People who get caught can face fines of up to ¥500,000, and habitual gamblers can be jailed for up to three years. But the real focus seems to be on cutting off the promotional channels that get people interested in these sites in the first place.
Government Estimates Show Massive Participation
Police estimates suggest that 3.37 million people in Japan have gambled online, spending about ¥1.24 trillion yearly. That comes to about $8.6 billion per year, an enormous amount of money flowing out of Japan’s controlled economy and into foreign gambling activities. These numbers explain why the government is acting so aggressively on this matter.
Looking Forward
Japanese authorities intend to make their second request to the eight territories once the amended law passes through the upper house. This indicates they consider it a sustained diplomatic campaign, not a single request. The intention is to limit access and reduce gambling harm domestically, but this will rely on how cooperative these foreign jurisdictions prove in limiting operators who are likely earning considerable licensing fees from Japanese players.
In Japan, the only forms of gambling allowed are lotteries and bets placed on publicly sponsored horse, bike, power-boat, and motorcycle races. By requesting other countries’ governments to assist in enforcing these laws, Japan is attempting to stretch its own anti-gambling laws overseas through diplomatic pressure rather than domestic enforcement alone.
Source: GGR Asia
