Japan Bans Online Casino Ads Targeting Local Users

Japan is continuing its fight against offshore online gambling by introducing new legislation aimed at completely limiting access to overseas casino venues while making them less visible to domestic players.

On Wednesday, the parliament passed new amendments meant to eliminate online gambling advertisements, making it clear that promoting overseas casino sites is now officially off-limits.

Eliminating the Gray Area

While many of these platforms are licensed and legal in other countries, betting on them from inside Japan still breaks the law. 

The revised legislation, approved by the Upper House, clears up any gray-area confusion and now covers things like banner ads, social media posts, and ranking websites that steer users toward those gambling platforms.

Social media posts that direct users to these platforms will also be considered violations.

The updated rules are expected to take effect three months after their official announcement later this month. 

No Criminal Penalties Introduced

While the new legislation does not include any updated criminal penalties, it empowers internet providers and social platforms to remove violating content more quickly. 

Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) expects this move to significantly reduce public access to offshore casinos. “The changes will help suppress access to such sites,” the agency said.

The Internet Hotline Center, whose job is to flag content deemed harmful for the NPA, is getting ready to classify this type of promotional material as “illegal information”. This will, in turn, allow it to issue takedown notices. 

Guidelines defining violations are expected ahead of the law’s enforcement.

The move follows a wave of celebrity scandals tied to illegal gambling, prompting authorities to respond more aggressively. 

“Only 40% of users knew the practice was illegal,” according to an NPA survey, with awareness especially low among people in their 20s.

Officials estimate around 3.37 million Japanese residents have gambled on offshore sites, wagering roughly ¥1.2 trillion ($8.3 billion) annually. 

In response, the NPA is stepping up public education, airing warnings in stadiums and cinemas, and distributing 100,000 leaflets with help from local partners.

Efforts also extend beyond Japan’s borders. The Foreign Ministry has asked regulators in jurisdictions like Curaçao to restrict access for Japanese users, including the removal of Japanese-language interfaces.

A number of more technical solutions, such as completely blocking access to offshore sites, are under discussion. However, most of these solutions raise questions regarding privacy and legality, which the communications ministry is now busy reviewing. In the meantime, the country is considering adding two more integrated resorts to the industry.