Japanese Government Plans to Implement Extensive Measures Against Unlawful Online Gambling Platforms
Japan Tackles Surge in Online Gambling, Plans Strict Measures Amidst Rising Addiction
Japan is contemplating stringent measures against online casinos in response to the escalating number of gambling addicts and illegal activities linked to gambling. According to The Japan News, an expert committee has been assembled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to advise on possible blocking of these sites (The Japan News, 2025).
At the end of April 2025, the committee convened to discuss the feasibility of blocking access to illegal online casinos, an action aimed at preventing participation in such sites. The Liberal Democratic Party also proposes revising a central framework law to combat gambling addiction.
Consequences for internet service providers (ISPs) would include legal obligations to refrain from promoting illegal online casinos. Affiliate sites that specifically direct users to gambling portals are also proposed for ban, and credit card payments to certain providers will be blocked. Enhanced youth protection filter software is also planned.
An estimated 3.37 million people in Japan have engaged in online gambling despite the ban, with an annual betting volume surpassing 1.2 trillion JPY (around 7.6 billion EUR). Younger demographics are reported to be particularly affected, with nearly half unaware that online casinos are illegal under Japanese law (Sumikai, 2025).
The ease of access via smartphones heightens concerns about the descent into dependency and the difficulty of recovery. Self-recognized addiction rates among users exceed 60% (The Japan Times, 2025).
Technological solutions such as i-FILTER, an AI-based filter software developed by Digital Arts, are set to aid in blocking access to gambling sites in the future. While this measure is currently only legally enforceable for child pornographic content, experts are examining its applicability to online casinos (The Japan Times, 2025).
Obstacles arise from constitutionally protected telecommunications secrecy, which prohibits ISPs from inspecting data traffic. Past blocking attempts have stalled at this hurdle, leading to discussions about alternative measures like voluntary blocking by foreign providers or strengthened international cooperation.
Other countries, including Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, and Australia, have already enacted far-reaching measures such as targeted blocking, disrupted payment streams, and advertising restrictions to combat illegal online gambling (The Japan News, 2025).
Public pressure has intensified in Japan following a series of scandals involving celebrities and professional athletes caught gambling online, such as comedians from Yoshimoto Kogyo and several baseball players (The Japan Times, 2025).
The proposed legislation focuses on clarifying the prohibition of online casinos, but its effectiveness may be limited without penalty provisions. Central and local governments plan to conduct public awareness campaigns to inform citizens of the illegality of online casinos in Japan (The Japan News, 2025).
- Effective June 5, 2025, ruling and opposition parties will submit a bill to revise existing legislation, aiming to explicitly prohibit the operation and establishment of online casino platforms within Japan[2][3][5].
- The bill includes a ban on advertisements guiding users to casino sites and also proposes guide campaigns to inform citizens about the illegality of online casinos in Japan, which may face enforcement challenges due to a lack of penalty provisions[2][5].
- The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has organized an expert panel to investigate measures to obstruct online casino access, including blocking connections to these sites[2].
- The proposed bill focuses on making it more accessible for authorities to remove illegal content and advertisements from communication providers[5].
These measures aim to strengthen current laws and improve enforcement to curb illegal online gambling and its associated issues in Japan.
- In response to rising concerns over online gambling and addiction, Japan is taking strict measures, including the proposed ban on advertisements guiding users to casino sites.
- The bill, set to take effect on June 5, 2025, also aims to explicitly prohibit the operation and establishment of online casino platforms within Japan.
- Amidst these measures, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has organized an expert panel to investigate ways to block connections to online casino sites.
- While the proposed bill focuses on making it easier for authorities to remove illegal content and advertisements from communication providers, its effectiveness may be limited without penalty provisions.
- The ease of access to gambling sites via smartphones and the high self-recognized addiction rates among users are causing increased concern about the descent into dependency and the difficulty of recovery, leading to calls for responsible gambling policies in the general news, crime-and-justice, and politics sectors.
