Japan’s amended law on gambling addiction takes effect from today, September 25, 2025.
The law, passed by the Japanese Parliament in June, seeks to crack down on online casinos and their promotion, primarily overseas platforms targeting Japanese residents, according to the Japan Times.Â
Under Japan’s previous gambling law iteration, most forms of private gambling were illegal, except for state-regulated activities such as horse racing, lotteries, pachinko, and sports betting.Â
 Many Japanese people nonetheless accessed online casinos. A 2025 survey by Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) estimated that about 3.37 million people had used online casino sites, while annual wagers via such platforms stood at $8.4 billion roughly.Â
From today, the amendments enforce several new prohibitions:
- Launching or offering new online casino sites, including through smartphone apps, is banned.Â
- Advertising and promotional content that directs users to online gambling sites, whether domestic or foreign, is prohibited. This includes banner ads, social media posts, affiliate links, ranking or recommendation sites, and influencer endorsements.Â
- National and local governments must now conduct public awareness campaigns to educate people about the illicit status of online gambling operations.
While the law classifies such promotional content as illegal information and empowers authorities and the Internet Hotline Centre to request takedowns, it does not impose explicit criminal penalties for all violations of the new measures.
Moreover, operations of foreign-licensed gambling sites remain legal in their respective jurisdictions, though accessing or promoting them in Japan will now be illegal.
Japan’s Gambling Regulation Landscape
Japan’s regulation of gambling remains stringent, clearly distinguishing between legal and illegal forms. Under the Penal Code, virtually all kinds of online and offline gambling that are privately operated are illegal, whether held in-person or conducted online. Only certain state-authorised betting activities like horse racing, bicycle racing, motorboat racing, motorcycle racing, and government lotteries are permitted.Â
Although online casinos based overseas may hold valid licences in their jurisdictions, Japanese law deems it a criminal offence for residents to use them. Moreover, offering or promoting access to such platforms is also illegal.Â
On the other hand, Japan legalised land-based casino gambling only in very specific circumstances: namely inside Integrated Resorts (IRs), which must combine casino operations with hotels, conference and exhibition facilities, entertainment venues and other tourist infrastructure.Â
The first IR under active development lies in Osaka, where the facility will house a casino facility under Japan’s legal framework. The government requires IR operators to charge Japanese visitors an entrance fee, limit the number of visits, and…
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