On April 25, a specialist group under Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released a draft report that has given policymakers quite a headache. On one hand, network blocking measures are recognized as technically effective in curbing the spread of illegal online casinos; on the other hand, this approach is likely to cross the constitutional red line protecting communication secrecy and the right to information. The expert group was very cautious in their report—blocking websites works, but before flipping the switch, it must be confirmed whether all other alternative regulatory measures have been exhausted. The report suggests prioritizing the regulation of illegal online gambling advertisements to reduce public exposure to these platforms from the source. The context of this draft is that the number of illegal online gambling cases handled by the Japanese police in 2025 has risen to the highest peak since 2018, pushing the pace of policy implementation due to governance pressure.
Technical blocking is effective but not without constitutional challenges, alternative measures take precedence
The core judgment of the expert group is quite restrained. Network blocking can indeed intercept a portion of illegal traffic at the technical operation level, but the Japanese Constitution sets a high legal threshold with its protection clauses for communication secrecy. The report clearly states that website blocking should not be seen as a standalone solution, but should be integrated into the overall governance framework of the new "Basic Law on Countermeasures against Gambling Addiction" that officially took effect in September last year. This framework was originally designed with a complete intervention chain from advertising restrictions and public education to addiction treatment, with network blocking being just one piece of the puzzle yet to be calibrated.
Japan's current laws have already clearly defined online casinos as illegal, but the hidden nature of internet dissemination allows cross-border platforms to easily bypass geographical restrictions, enabling gamblers to place bets without stepping into a physical casino. This invisible penetration makes traditional law enforcement increasingly difficult, which is the underlying reason why the expert group had to touch on the sensitive nerve of communication freedom.
Record-high enforcement tightens governance pace, "Basic Law on Countermeasures against Gambling Addiction" becomes the core framework
The number of illegal online gambling cases handled by the police in 2025 reached a seven-year high, directly accelerating the pace of policy discussions. The "Basic Law on Countermeasures against Gambling Addiction" that took effect in September last year provides a legal base for various intervention measures, and the discussion on network blocking has been incorporated into this system rather than starting anew, showing the Japanese government's preference for systematic regulation over ad-hoc blocking. Finding a balance between combating illegal gambling and protecting citizens' internet freedom is both a legal and political challenge.
PASA official website continues to track Asia-Pacific gambling regulation and internet governance policy dynamics, noting that Japan's constitutional discussion around network blocking has regional significance. As more and more Asian countries face the infiltration of illegal online gambling, Japan's chosen path is to exhaust alternative measures first and then integrate technical blocking into the overall legal framework, the success or failure of this restrained governance will become an important sample for neighboring markets to observe.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
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