Japan is moving to tighten legal boundaries around online gambling, as lawmakers advance a bill aimed at banning the operation and promotion of online casino sites.
The House of Representatives passed the measure on Tuesday with support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nippon News reported.
The bill, which amends an existing law addressing gambling addiction, now awaits deliberation in the House of Councillors and is expected to be enacted before the current parliamentary session ends on June 22, according to The Mainichi.
The legislation prohibits the creation of online casinos and criminalizes efforts to guide users to these platforms through websites or social media. It also calls on social media companies to remove content that promotes or links to online gambling.
Online casinos remain unauthorized in Japan, and participation in such platforms from within the country is illegal. Under current law, offenders may face fines of up to ¥500,000, and habitual gamblers may be sentenced to up to three years in prison under the Penal Code.
The proposed changes follow increasing public and government attention on illegal gambling, especially through smartphones and digital platforms.
A National Police Agency survey published in March estimated that 3.37 million people in Japan have gambled on online casino sites. Annual spending on these activities is estimated at ¥1.24 trillion ($8.7 billion).
Legal forms of gambling in Japan are limited to government-sanctioned activities such as lotteries and betting on horse, boat, bicycle, and motorcycle races.
Recent incidents involving athletes and celebrities allegedly using online casinos have added pressure to regulate the digital gambling space. The bill extends accountability not just to operators but also to promoters and intermediaries that facilitate access to illegal gambling platforms.
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