House of Representatives Passes Bill to Curb Illegal Gambling and Combat Addiction
Japan has taken a decisive step toward reinforcing its stance against illegal online gambling. On 3 June 2025, the House of Representatives, the lower house of Japan’s National Diet, officially passed a bill aimed at banning the opening and operation of online casino sites within the country.
The legislation, which received strong backing from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), will now be sent to the House of Councillors for further debate and potential enactment. If approved by the upper chamber, the bill is expected to come into force within weeks.
Growing Concerns Over Gambling Addiction
The bill is largely motivated by public health concerns—particularly the rise in gambling addiction across Japan. A government-commissioned survey released in March 2025 estimated that 3.37 million Japanese residents had accessed online casinos, collectively spending an estimated ¥1.24 trillion (approx. $8.7 billion) annually.
Although online gambling is technically illegal in Japan, offshore sites have been operating in a legal grey zone, prompting increased scrutiny. The revised legislation would not only criminalize the act of running online casinos, but also prohibit linking to or advertising such platforms within Japan.
Prevention Tools Gaining Ground
The growing awareness of gambling-related harm has spurred the rise of support tools. BetBlocker, a non-profit responsible gambling organization, recently launched a Japanese-language version of its free gambling blocking software to help curb online gambling use, underscoring the urgency of the issue.
Data from the Society Concerned about Gambling Addiction in Tokyo revealed a sharp spike in consultation requests, which grew 11-fold from 8 in 2019 to 91 in 2024—a clear indication of a national concern reaching critical mass.
Political Landscape and Legislative Outlook
While the bill passed with LDP support, it faced opposition from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, which questioned the breadth and enforceability of the proposed restrictions. Nonetheless, the cross-party support that shaped the original bill—following consultations among eight political parties and parliamentary groups—suggests a shared political will to address the issue.
As the bill now heads to the House of Councillors, its passage would mark a significant legal tightening of Japan’s gaming laws and send a strong message to unregulated operators.
If ratified, Japan will join a growing list of nations taking decisive regulatory action against the spread of unlicensed online gaming, underlining a global trend toward stricter gambling controls and enhanced public protections.
