Japan has a serious addiction to online gambling, even though it is prohibited in the East Asian nation.

Although casino gambling was just recently allowed in Japan, the $8.9 billion MGM Osaka, the nation's first gaming resort, has not yet opened.  Pachinko, an arcade-style game, public sports betting on horse and motorcycle races, and province lotteries are still the only legal gambling options.

Despite being prohibited by the National Diet of Japan, online gambling is nonetheless very popular.  Numerous internet casinos run by foreign nations, like as Malta and the Isle of Man, are accessible to Japanese consumers.

Although Japan's internet service providers have compelled the government to block specific gambling websites, it is hard to completely outlaw the ever-growing list of illicit iGaming platforms.

Because of this, the Japanese government in Tokyo is contacting significant offshore gaming marketplaces and requesting that authorities order the termination of their access to the Land of the Rising Sun. 

Japan's Request

In order to specifically prohibit websites and applications from providing unregulated gaming and betting within the nation, Japan tightened its anti-online gambling legislation in June.  The Basic Act on Measures Against gaming was amended to include harsher sanctions for those discovered to run such illicit gaming establishments.

Since the majority of websites are run by foreign companies, there is a good chance that they may suffer legal repercussions for allowing their products to be accessible in Japan.  Government representatives have reportedly contacted gaming authorities in Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, Malta, Anjouan, Curacao, the Isle of Man, and Gibraltar to compel their licensed iGaming operators to cease accepting Japanese players in order to better implement the law.

Japan is also concerned about virtual private networks, or VPNs.  In order to access legitimate online casino sites, persons in jurisdictions where iGaming is prohibited frequently utilize VPNs, which enable users to conceal the true location of their internet access.

Will More Casino Bids Be Accepted in Japan? 

In 2018, the Diet of Japan approved up to three casino resorts.  Only one casino is being built after more than seven years.

The two other casino permits haven’t been issued.  Casino.org revealed in June that prefectures would have to submit their applications to host a multibillion-dollar integrated resort casino before the nation would hold a second round of bidding.

The Nagasaki Prefecture was the only other bid that Japan received, other from Osaka.  At the Huis Ten Bosch Dutch theme park in Sasebo, Casinos Austria unveiled a plan worth over $3 billion for a massive resort casino. Due to financial concerns, the project was rejected by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism in December 2023.

The biggest casino operators in the world, such as Las Vegas Sands, Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, and Melco Resorts, used to be interested in Japan.  The majority of operators withdrew from the upcoming market due to Japan's extremely long legislative procedure to implement its regulations.

Japanese citizens were required to pay an admission fee in order to enter the casinos.  A 24-hour pass costs ¥6,000 (US$41) for any resident of the nation.  The goal of the toll is to reduce problem gambling.