An estimated 3.37 million people in Japan have gambled at online casinos, according to a survey by the National Police Agency, reported The Asahi Shimbun newspaper. Data from the survey – said to be the country’s first on the topic – also showed that about JPY1.24 trillion (US$8.39 billion) in bets were placed annually at online gambling sites.
The survey results, released on Thursday, indicated 75.2 percent of users who accessed free online casino sites, later played paid versions where they gambled with real money.
The report said 59.6 percent of online casino users in the survey acknowledged being addicted to gambling.
According to The Asahi Shimbun, placing bets on online gambling sites – even regulated ones – from within Japan constitutes a gambling offence.
The publication quoted a representative of the National Police Agency as saying that the survey “highlights the prevalence of illegal gambling” in the country, calling the situation “extremely serious”.
The survey was carried out between July 2024 and January this year and involved interviews with around 27,000 people in Japan, aged from 15 to 79.
The report said that survey analysed responses from a total of 7,000 people, 500 of them described as individuals with experience in betting at online casinos.
The results showed 3.5 percent of all respondents had either frequented online casino sites in the past or were still using them. Based on Japan’s national population, the ratio translates to an estimated 3.37 million people with experience of using online casinos.
The survey found that 43.5 percent of respondents were unaware that online casinos are illegal in Japan.
The country has legalised casino gaming and did a first round of applications for up to three licences for integrated resorts (IR) with casino.
The MGM Osaka casino resort bid was the only successful one for the first round. The project – due to open in 2030 – is located at Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay.
