Online Casinos in Japan

Online Casino Play Is a Crime in Japan

The National Police Agency publishes the position on its own site: "海外で合法的に運営されているオンラインカジノであっても、日本国内から接続して賭博を行うことは犯罪です。" — even where an online casino is lawfully operated overseas, connecting to it from inside Japan and gambling is a crime. It adds that the label on the game makes no difference: "バカラ、スロット、スポーツベッティング等、その名称や内容にかかわらず、オンライン上で行われる賭博は犯罪です。" The Cabinet Office's Government Public Relations Online puts the same point about offshore licensing: "その国では合法的に運営されているとしても、日本国内からこれらのサイトにアクセスしてオンラインカジノで賭博を行うことは、「賭博罪」などの犯罪", and states flatly that "オンラインカジノの違法性に「グレーゾーン」はありません。" — there is no grey zone in the illegality of online casinos.

The Statutory Basis

The offences are in Chapter XXIII of the Penal Code. Article 185 reads "賭博をした者は、五十万円以下の罰金又は科料に処する。ただし、一時の娯楽に供する物を賭けたにとどまるときは、この限りでない。", which the Ministry of Justice's own translation renders as "A person who gambles is punished by a fine of not more than 500,000 yen or a petty fine; provided, however, that the same does not apply to a person who gambles occasionally provided for recreational amusement." Article 186 covers the habitual offender and the operator: "常習として賭博をした者は、三年以下の懲役に処する。" and "賭博場を開張し、又は博徒を結合して利益を図った者は、三月以上五年以下の懲役に処する。", translated as "A person who, for the purpose of profit, runs a place for gambling or organizes a group of habitual gamblers is punished by imprisonment for not less than 3 months but not more than 5 years." The National Police Agency states the habitual gambling penalty in its current form as "常習賭博罪　常習として賭博をした者は、３年以下の拘禁刑".

Enforcement Is Recorded, Not Hypothetical

The National Police Agency lists arrest examples. The first is a player at home: "日本国内の自宅において、自宅に設置されたパーソナルコンピューターを使用して、海外の会社が運営するオンラインカジノサイトにインターネット接続し、同サイトのディーラーを相手方として賭博をした賭客を賭博罪で検挙。" Others cover operators, payment agents and affiliates, including "海外のオンラインカジノサイト運営者との間でアフィリエイト契約を結び、動画配信サイトなどで海外のオンラインカジノサイトを利用するように勧誘していた者を常習賭博幇助罪で検挙。" The agency states "警察では、オンライン上で行われる賭博事犯の取締りを推進しています。" Government Public Relations Online gives figures: "近年、海外で運営されているオンラインカジノサイトに日本から参加した人が検挙される事例が後を絶たず、日本では、令和6年（2024年）中、オンライン上で行われる賭博事犯で279人が検挙されています。" and "令和5年（2023年）には、オンラインカジノの利用者や決済に関わった者、オンラインカジノを広告・宣伝した者など、107人が検挙されています。"

Advertising and Promotion Became Unlawful in 2025

An amendment to the Basic Act on Measures against Gambling Addiction prohibits pointing people towards illegal online gambling. Government Public Relations Online records the prohibition as covering "オンラインカジノを含む違法オンラインギャンブル等を行う場を提供するウェブサイト又はプログラム（アプリ）を提示する行為や、違法オンラインギャンブル等に誘導する情報を発信する行為を禁止", and the commencement as "する法律が成立・公布され、令和7年（2025年）9月25日から施行されます". The National Police Agency lists examples of what is caught, among them "・ オンラインカジノサイトの開設・運営 ・ オンラインカジノアプリのアプリストアへの掲載" and the making of round-up pages that recommend online casinos. This site does not name online casinos as a way to gamble from Japan, and would not do so irrespective of that law.

The Only Casino Japanese Law Recognises Is a Building

The Act on Development of Specified Integrated Resort Districts defines casino gaming as activity that "means activities of competing for the acquisition or loss of money under conditions of chance in the same facility using devices or tools established therein". Its Article 1 describes the Act as "a legal measure based on the provisions of Article 5 of the "Act on Promotion of Development of Specified Integrated Resort Districts" (Act No.115 of 2016, hereinafter referred to as "the Promotion Act")", so the 2016 legislation was a promotion framework and this later Act is what sets up casino business licensing. It also provides that "A Casino Regulatory Commission is established based on the provisions of Article 49, paragraph (3) of the Act for Establishment of the Cabinet Office (Act No. 89 of 1999)." Entry is restricted — "A casino business operator must not allow the following persons to enter its casino facilities or stay therein except cases specified by Cabinet Order:", the first listed being "a person under 20 years of age;" — and visitors pay to enter: "The national government is to impose an admission fee of 3,000 yen on visitors (excluding foreigners who do not have a residence in Japan; the same applies hereinafter in this Section), when the relevant visitors intend to enter a casino gaming operation area." That Commission supervises physical casino facilities. It does not license online casinos, and no Japanese body does.

Sweepstakes Casinos Are Not a Japanese Category

The dual-currency sweepstakes casino is a United States model, and it is never a licensed alternative to a real-money casino. No Japanese law, regulator or official page read for this page addresses the dual-currency model by name, so this site records no sweepstakes status for Japan at all rather than inferring one from that silence. Readers should note separately that the National Police Agency's advice extends to free play at online casinos: "「有料版」はもちろん、「無料版」や「無料ボーナス（ポイント）」であっても、オンラインカジノの利用は絶対にやめましょう。" This site tracks sweepstakes status as data rather than asserting availability in prose.

What Is Available Instead

Land-based casino gaming inside a certified integrated-resort district, and nothing else. The Act on Development of Specified Integrated Resort Districts defines casino gaming as taking place in the same facility and establishes a Casino Regulatory Commission to supervise it, restricting entry to people aged 20 and over and imposing a 3,000 yen admission fee on visitors other than non-resident foreigners. This page does not establish that any such casino is open.