Arrests Hit Record High in Japan over Online Gambling

Tokyo, April 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police arrested or took other enforcement actions against 317 people for their suspected involvement in online gambling in 2025, highest on record since 2018, National Police Agency data showed Thursday. The annual total increased by 38 from the previous year, led by an increase in individuals who used online casino sites by themselves. Online gambling is legal in some countries but not in Japan. Betting money through foreign online casinos constitutes the crime of gambling under the Penal Code if conducted from within Japan. “Although more people recognize it as illegal, enough measures have yet to be taken,” an agency official said. “We’ll continue working to create an environment in which people are not allowed to use or simply cannot use (online casinos).” In most cases, online casinos lack physical places allowing customers to make bets. Their gambling services are usually accessed from smartphones. Last year, arrests and other actions were taken against 196 online casino customers, up by 54 from the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of busted online casino cases more than tripled to 150. As the recognition of online casino’s illegality spread, more users voluntarily reported their acts to police, and reports from people around users have increased, the agency said. The revised basic law on measures to fight gambling addiction, which took effect in September last year, bans websites, videos and online advertisements publicizing casinos. The number of affiliated marketers and casino-linked payment service providers subjected to arrests or other enforcement actions hit 25. At service providers with physical places with computers allowing customers to gain access to online casino sites, 38 customers and 58 store staff were arrested or subjected to other police actions. Under the revised law, the Internet Hotline Center, commissioned by the NPA, requested internet service providers to delete websites and ads on online casinos, classifying them as “illegal information,” according to the agency. Following this, links to some foreign casino websites became invalid, and some such sites became inaccessible from Japan. But keywords like “recommended casino websites” still appears in online search results, and police continue chasing online casino users. Police are strengthening their crackdowns, including by arresting online video distributors involved in casino ads. The communications ministry is considering introducing functions to block access to casino-related content. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]