More Japanese Celebrities Brought on Charges of Illegal Gambling

Japan is not lessening its zeal to bring to justice any person, be that a celebrity or an ordinary citizen, who has engaged in online gambling at a casino or a sports betting website.

The country of the rising sun has gone after news anchors, athletes, and boy band members, and has urged others to step forward and confess before investigators catch up to them.

Japan Names Two More Celebrities in Gambling Crackdown

The latest people caught in an anti-gambling probe are Asahi Saito and Hiroshi Sano, better known as Butter Young, a comedian duo. The two were accused by prosecutors of having placed online wagers with overseas casinos, which is prohibited even for individuals who are not involved in running or hosting these websites.

The comedians were initially targeted by their talent agency, Titan, which then referred them to the police, along with several other individuals who were also found to have gambled. Japan’s police have been bent on publicizing the names of all individuals caught gambling illegally overseas, hoping to raise awareness for the issue and demonstrate that no one is immune from prosecution over the issue.

Although it may sound bizarre to launch probs into private individuals for simply placing a bet overseas, Japan is a stickler for the rules, and this is no exception.

Police Want People to Confess Before Getting Caught

Earlier this month, Japanese authorities decided to show leniency in the case of baseballers who have self-reported and thus dodged charges from prosecutors.

In another case, a seemingly ordinary citizen was arrested for placing record-breaking amounts of wagers, with as much as $194 million spent on the activity. The 38-year-old resident of Tokyo said that he was not aware that gambling was illegal.