Gambling and Gambling Laws in Japan

The history of Japan’s gambling habits and laws is a rather difficult one, especially as a large majority of it is generally banned by the Criminal Code chapter 23. However there are a few exceptions including different types of betting on public sports, the lottery and toto which are football pools – accepted as it increases the income of national and local governments.

Technically, with the exception of public sports (horse racing etc.), and the lottery, any form of gambling is illegal in Japan, but there are several loopholes that allow many companies to get around those laws. Understanding Gambling Law & Legislation in Japan. Gambling law is a bit of a strange beast in Japan. Under Chapter XXIII of Japan's Criminal Code, gambling is generally placed under a widespread ban, with hefty fines and even imprisonment for people that fall foul of the law. Is gambling illegal in Japan? For many years now, Japan has actually had a really stringent set of laws embedded in location to make gambling illegal in Japan for their residents. Their brand-new laws are about to alter that.

Japanese police arrested three people for their involvement in an illegal casino that was busted in July, including a 70-year-old crime figure. The authorities believe that funds from the operation in the Roppongi entertainment district were going to a criminal organization. On the flip side, there are illegal gambling opportunities throughout the country provided by the Yakuza, Japan’s organized crime organization. They are known to run illicit casinos featuring high-stakes Pachinko, Mahjong, and Baccarat, and are unforgiving when it comes to payments due. Is Online Gambling Legal in Japan?

Is Gambling Illegal In Japan

Casinos

Casinos are currently illegal in Japan, however there were movements within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that urged the government to open casinos to encourage and boost tourism in Japan.

Japan is one of the few Asian nations that is still adamant not to legalize casinos. This has meant any players looking to improve their blackjack skills are forced to go overseas to play.

However as the 2020 Olympic Games are set to be held in Tokyo this could all change. Although casino games and the Olympics may seem like an absurd connection, the Japanese capital will need hotels and guests will need sources of entertainment. Both Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts International have shown interest in investing in casino hotels and entertainment venues in Tokyo.

Pachinko

This game, which is very much like a mix of pinball and slot machines, is incredibly popular throughout Japan. Pachinko is officially not considered gambling as Japanese laws regard the game as an exception to the criminal code on gambling due to its lengthy historical and cultural roots.

There are around 12,480 pachinko parlours in Japan and the game has proven to be incredibly popular. Pachinko consists of players looking to get pinball balls into the correct slots, as they succeed they are rewarded with more balls which they can then exchange for prizes.

The reason why pachinko is legal is that money cannot be awarded at the parlours; instead the prizes are usually tokens which players then exchange at a neighbouring shop for cash. The shops in which the prizes are sold tend to be owned by the same company as the pachinko parlours, which is one way to get around the law.

Lottery

As well as pachinko, different lotteries known as takarakuji are also incredibly popular and a legal version of gambling in Japan. In Japan there are three main types of lottery which consist of unique number lotteries, selected number lotteries and scratch cards.

Lottery games are held by large cities in Japan on a regular basis throughout the year. Lottery tickets are often sold at a price of about 100 to 500 yen. They can be purchased from lottery booths and many stores as well as some ATMs. Winners of the lottery can win top prizes of up to 100 million yen and sometimes more. The law behind takarakuji ensures that the entire prize pool for any given lottery should be less than 50 per cent of the total sales; the rest of the money goes to local government organizations as well as charities.

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Gambling is a hobby of many and an addiction for some. As a native to the beautiful desert land of Las Vegas, Nevada, land of the some of the greatest casino/resorts in the world, I am well accustomed to the exciting, and sometimes seedy world of gambling. For me, seeing craps tables and slots in airports and even convenience stores is not strange at all. I am much more surprised when gambling is illegal, like in Japan…Or is it?

Technically, with the exception of public sports (horse racing etc.), and the lottery, any form of gambling is illegal in Japan, but there are several loopholes that allow many companies to get around those laws. For example, pachinko parlors for years have gotten around these laws by awarding winners with “prizes” instead of money, and those prizes can be exchanged for money at a different place.

But in the last year, a new form of casino has arisen in different parts of Japan. Many are available in the downtown Osaka area called Namba. This area is easily reachable by the Osaka subway system.

Casino restaurants or bars are new types of bars that have come about in the last few years. They have a new style of gambling that stays legal but keeps all the fun of gambling. It is massively popular with both native Japanese and foreigners alike.

In these bars, you can play a smorgasbord of games; poker, baccarat, roulette, and many more. The fun of gambling is that you risk some for a great reward, and you risk it with the excitement of an audience. Casino bars have managed to maintain this spirit while obeying the law.

Is Sports Betting Illegal In Japan

Casino bars stay on the legal side by maintaining three rules; you can’t gamble for money, an amusement business cannot run all night, and prizes cannot be exchanged for money or goods directly.

One particularly popular bar in Osaka, Jack & Queen Osaka, charges you an entry fee and with that entry fee, you get free food and drink coupons, and a set value of chips. As you play and receive more chips you can exchange those chips for more food and drink coupons. Thus maintaining the thrill and fun of gambling at a casino, but doing it legally.

Have you seen one of these casino bars before? Would you ever want to go and experience this legal version of gambling?

Gambling Is Illegal In Japan

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