Japan Gambling Laws

Have you tried playing in Japan or participated in any of the related sporting events? If so, share your experience and tips with others by leaving a comment below. If there`s one thing you can be sure of, it`s that Japan has a rich gaming culture. This is despite the fact that the country has strict gambling laws. Debts arising from illegal gambling are inapplicable because they violate public order and morality, a general rule of the Civil Code. However, once these debts are settled, the debtor cannot make a legal claim to recover the money paid. In the meantime, debts arising from legal gambling would be enforceable. Osaka was the first to launch the “Request for Proposal” (RFP) process in 2019,[15] and the five companies that applied for an Osaka Integrated Casino Resort license are Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts, Melco Resorts and Genting Singapore. [16] The names of two gambling operators were withheld due to requests for anonymity. [17] In February 2020, only MGM Resorts had submitted an offer in Osaka, without bids from rival companies Galaxy Entertainment and Genting Singapore. [18] MGM was awarded the contract. Las Vegas Sands, Melco Resorts and Entertainment and Wynn Resorts all said they were instead focusing on Yokohama and Tokyo and the bidding process for the remaining two licenses. [19] [18] Gambling law is a bit of a strange beast in Japan. According to Chapter XXIII of Japan`s Penal Code, gambling is generally subject to a blanket prohibition, with hefty fines and even jail time for those who break the law.

There are exceptions, for a number of reasons and in a number of areas. These include prefectural and city takarakuji (lotteries), public sports betting, and, of course, pachinko – a slot/pinball hybrid that can be seen in pachinko parlors across the country. As a result, it can sometimes be a bit confusing to understand Japan`s gambling law and legislation. The adoption of the law has attracted considerable interest at home and abroad, as it allows licensed private entities to operate a “complex tourist facility area”, commonly referred to as an “integrated resort” (IR), which by definition includes a casino (Article 2 of the Act). As described in more detail in Section II, although the Japanese Penal Code (Law No. 45 of 1907) generally prohibits any form of gambling that was previously only permitted in public sports and lotteries, the law explicitly legalizes gambling in a specific area by excluding the application of the Penal Code.2 On November 1, 2013, The Japanese Parliament held a debate on the legality of online gambling. and after that consultation, the Government set out its views on online gambling, which states that participation in online gambling operated outside Japan via the Internet from Japan (or participation in casinos outside Japan broadcast live over the Internet from Japan) constitutes gambling in Japan if part of such gambling was conducted in Japan, such as participation via the Internet from one`s home in Japan (i.e. the person in Japan was not physically present in the gambling house abroad). The operation of these forms of gambling activities requires licenses which, according to current legislation, are granted only to local governments or government-related entities. Probably Japan`s biggest game sport is horse racing. Here, it is a down-to-earth affair where the focus is on betting and not on the attributes of the “king sport” enjoying horse racing in other countries. Potential winners can even take courses on how to bet on races.

The crime of operating a gambling venue also requires the operation of a gambling venue and the “making of profits”,10 and the term “making a profit” refers to the intention to obtain illegal financial benefit (in the form of fees, commissions or otherwise). Since money lending could speed up problem gambling, access to money lending is only available to (a) customers who have the financial capacity to deposit more than 10 million yen in cash with the casino operator, and (b) non-resident foreign customers. To avoid excessive lending, casino operators should review customers` ability to repay their loans and set a separate cap on the loan amount for each customer. Pachinko is a pinball-like slot game. It is not officially considered a game, as Japanese laws consider pachinko an exception to the penal code on gambling for historical, monetary, and cultural reasons. Pachinko salons can be found throughout Japan and are run by private companies. In 2011, there were about 12,480 pachinko parlors in Japan. [4] In 2018, Japan spent $200 billion annually on pachinko.

In addition, “nearly half of all free time in Japan” was spent in pachinko parlors. [5] Players sign up for online casinos because they can play for larger bonuses and often higher odds of winning. There are even websites that help the curious navigate the wealth of Japanese online casinos. As a subsidiary of internet gaming, mobile gaming has also gained popularity in Japan. In particular, for the proper education of young people, the distribution of leaflets and the invitation of minors to visit casinos are prohibited, whether they take place outside or inside the IR zone.