Japan is set for a new framework around its gambling sector as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet approved a new focus on tackling addiction in the country.
As first reported by the Japan Times, central to the plans is the extended effort to take action against affiliates that promote gambling.
During a news conference following the discussions around the new bill, Yoshitaka Ito, the minister in charge of measures to combat gambling addiction stated: “There are strong indications the number of people accessing online casino sites is increasing.”
He added that he believes this is fuelling issues of gambling addiction within the country.
Noriko Tanaka, representative director of The Society Concerned about the Gambling Addiction, has continued to call for more intensive measures when it comes to the framework around iGaming.
She urged the government to take legislative action and tighten guidelines for the space.
Furthermore, there will also be strengthened efforts around education and informing businesses on the legal state of play for gambling and the impact of promotions.
Currently, there is a strict framework that prohibits gambling in Japan which means that the majority of gambling services are illegal – despite publicly run services such as horse racing and some motor sports betting.
The importance of action
The vital nature of Japan taking action to curb gambling adverts was highlighted when a recent report from the National Police Agency (NPA) identified a record number of online casino users in 2024, despite iGaming remaining illegal for Japanese citizens.
2024 saw the highest number of online casino users and ‘dealers’ in Japan since its police force began recording statistics in 2018, as 279 players were tracked and identified across the year.
The NPA pinpointed 162 online casino users in 2024, with 117 dealers, both record numbers for the nation’s gambling statistics.
According to a survey conducted by the International Casino Institute, based in Tokyo, around 2.8% of 6,000 surveyed members of the Japanese public claimed to have gambled on online casinos in the past 12 months.
