Japan’s House of Representatives approved a significant bill aimed at tightening regulations on illegal online gambling.
The new legislation prohibits websites from directing users to unauthorized casino sites, a move prompted by recent reports of athletes and celebrities engaging in virtual gambling.
The revision approved on Tuesday to existing laws addressing gambling addiction comes as a response to alarming statistics. A recent police survey estimated that over 3.37 million people in Japan have gambled online, with an annual expenditure of approximately JPY1.24 trillion ($8.6 billion).
While online casinos are legally operated in some countries, they remain unauthorized in Japan. The newly passed bill is expected to be enacted during the current parliamentary session, which runs through June 22nd.
Key provisions of the bill include a ban on the establishment of online casino websites and the transmission of information that could attract users to such sites. Additionally, the legislation calls for social media platforms to remove illegal content related to online gambling.
Under the revised law, individuals accessing and betting on these sites from Japan could face fines of up to JPY500,000 ($3,470). Habitual offenders may be subject to penalties of up to three years in prison, as stipulated by the country’s Penal Code.
In Japan, while lotteries and betting on publicly operated races—such as horse, bicycle, boat, and motorcycle racing—are legal, the government is taking a firm stance against illegal online gambling activities.
