The Japanese parliament recently passed a new law specifically targeting intermediaries and promotional channels that guide users to illegal online gambling platforms through websites and social media content. This move is a key measure by the government to address social issues such as addiction, debt, and money laundering brought about by online gambling.
According to the new law, any digital content or website that promotes or links to online casinos not licensed in Japan, even if these casinos are legally operating overseas, will be considered illegal. The law empowers the government to demand the removal of any platform information that encourages users to participate in illegal gambling, in order to cut off the channels of illegal online gambling transmission.
Police data shows that currently about 3 million people in Japan have used illegal online gambling platforms, with an annual gambling capital of approximately 1.24 trillion yen (about 8.6 billion US dollars). In recent years, cases involving celebrities and athletes participating in offshore gambling have been frequent, driving a widespread call for strengthened regulation.
This law will officially take effect three months after its promulgation, providing law enforcement agencies with preparation time, while coordinating public education campaigns to raise awareness of the risks associated with illegal gambling. The government hopes to reduce the rate of gambling addiction, minimize related social issues, and curb the risk of gambling platforms being used for money laundering and illegal capital flows by strictly controlling entry points.
This new regulation marks a more stringent phase in Japan's governance of online gambling, demonstrating the government's determination to maintain social order and protect the rights and interests of the public.
