
Currently, Japan does not have legal casinos because gambling was once banned. Over the past few years, there have been moves to relax the laws regulating casinos in Japan. Recently, a new law was passed that allows casinos to open as part of integrated resorts in Japan.
Japan’s strict regulations and laws regarding gambling mean that casinos are not allowed on Japanese soil. While the laws prohibiting real casinos in Japan are fairly clear, the laws regarding virtual gambling are surprisingly vague.
The only online gambling regulated by Japanese law involves betting on horse racing and bicycle, motorcycle, and boat racing. Most forms of gambling in Japan are prohibited under Chapter 23 of the Penal Code, but there are a few exceptions, including betting on horse racing and some motorsports. While most forms of gambling are prohibited in Japan, there are a few exceptions.
Most jurisdictions will not prosecute individual citizens for online gambling, instead leaving prosecution to operators operating illegally. Japanese authorities have warned Japanese citizens that they risk criminal prosecution if they use unlicensed online gambling sites, even when the operators are overseas.
Internet gambling may not be legalized in Japan yet, but that hasn’t stopped Japanese gambling fans from enjoying their favorite casino games. The Japanese love online casinos, and so do those who visit the beautiful country. Although there are no native casinos in Japan yet, many online casinos welcome Japanese customers.
Of course, the good news as far as Japanese online casinos are concerned is that you don’t actually have to be in Japan to enjoy them. As we mentioned in our introduction, there are actually plenty of options for fans of Japanese casino gaming.

With a limited number of brick-and-mortar gaming venues available in Japan, it’s all the more reason to check out our recommended sites that offer quality casino games. In addition to top-rated online casino slots, Japanese players can find a huge variety of casino games such as jackpot games, table games, esports, and live casino sites.
Playing at free online casino sites in Japan is one great way to try out new strategies before putting your real money on the line at a casino. Playing online casino in Japan can be a lot of fun as long as you do it the right way, but there is no guarantee that you will make a profit. Online gambling is thriving in Japan, and the strict and complex laws and regulations are unlikely to stop it.
It’s still unclear when casinos will become commonplace in Japan, or when full legalization of gambling will take effect. It seems highly unlikely that Japan’s first wave of casinos will open until after the delayed 2021 Olympics, and some say we’ll have to wait until 2025, the year Osaka hosts the World Expo.
While it looks like casino resorts will still open on the Japanese mainland, it seems very likely that they will not open until the end of this decade, and sadly, Japanese residents will not be allowed to visit. Land-based casinos are currently available in Japan, but for the time being, you are limited to using overseas casino brands for online betting. With pachinko parlors and certain forms of online gambling being very popular in the country, it’s easy to see that there is a market for land-based casinos in Japan.

In Japan, only licensed casino operators are allowed to operate casino businesses, including lottery operations. Japanese people who want to participate in casino games such as blackjack, poker, and roulette can do so legally by visiting online casinos operated by foreigners. Meanwhile, internet gambling is still illegal when conducted within Japan.
On November 1, 2013, the legality of online gambling was debated in the Japanese Diet, and the government gave its opinion on online gambling: participating in online games operated outside of Japan via the internet (or participating in casinos located outside of Japan that are broadcast) in Japan is considered gambling in Japan if it is done from a residence in Japan (i.e., a person in Japan is not physically present at a gambling venue overseas), for example, via the internet. The adoption opens the door to privately operated gambling facilities in Japan, the latest development in a long-running debate over the legalization and licensing of casinos in designated areas of the country.
With the facts in this article, you will know if gambling at online casinos in South Korea or Japan is legal. This article will detail everything you need to know about the legality of the online internet casino gambling industry in Japan and South Korea.
More importantly, we discuss the games, bonuses, payment methods, and other features offered by the top online casinos in Japan. For now, assuming that casinos like 1xbet don’t work out for you, keep reading to find out how to bet and play in Japan that is currently legal. Apart from our review of Japanese gaming culture and casinos, we will focus on games that are unique to Japan.
So in the end, while you are technically breaking the law by playing online casinos in Japan, the chances of you being penalized for doing so are close to zero. Technically, if you’re caught using an offshore casino site in Japan, you might get a light fine. However, that’s changing as the full legalization of gaming and casinos in Japan is virtually imminent.