Japan’s House of Representatives – the lower chamber of the country’s parliament, the Diet – approved on Tuesday (June 2) a bill aiming to tighten regulations against illegal online casinos.
The bill will now be sent to the upper chamber, the House of Councillors, for a vote. According to local media reports, it is likely the measure will be passed into law during the current Diet session, which is due to end on June 22.
The presentation of the bill follows an agreement on the topic between the ruling and opposition parties. It revises the basic law on countermeasures against gambling addiction, which came into effect in 2018.
The proposed legislation prohibits the establishment and operation of online casino platforms, as well as the promotion of such sites through advertisements or redirecting users via social media and other digital channels.
According to media reports, the Japanese government introduced the revisions to address gaps in existing legislation, and streamline the process for service providers to remove adverts and related content when requested to do so by relevant authorities.
Additionally, the bill mandates that both central and local governments run public awareness initiatives to educate citizens about the illegality of online gambling.
The bill does not impose any penalties for violations.
Gambling online is illegal for Japanese, even if the online provider is legally licensed overseas, according to guidance attributed to Japan’s National Police Agency.
However, the results of a National Police Agency survey, released in March, revealed that about 3.37 million people had accessed – via Japan – online casinos, with total annual wagers reaching about JPY1.2 trillion (US$8.4 billion).
Japan is due to see MGM Osaka, the country’s first land-based integrated resort (IR) with casino, open in late 2030. A ground breaking ceremony for the complex was held in April.
