Japan Moves To Ban Online Casino Ads
July 23, 2025
The Japanese Parliament recently passed a bill that would ban ads for online casinos. It also plans to reiterate to the public that running or operating online casino sites and apps is illegal in the country.
It is worth noting that the appetite for online casinos has been steadily growing over the last few years. While there's been provision for typical casino games like poker and slots, many casino games based on traditional offerings have also taken root. For example, there is a big demand for games like mahjong from people who grew up playing it.
Japanese consumers might find themselves shut out of these offerings altogether thanks to this new bill.
But now, Japanese consumers might find themselves shut out of these offerings altogether thanks to this new bill. The House of Councillors has voted to make sure that neither advertising nor information about online casinos will be shown to the public. This is an interesting move as many countries are working to get ahead of the online gambling popularity wave. Several states in the US and Canada, for example, have passed laws that support iGaming and create better frameworks for these online casinos. Likewise, online casinos are not licenced locally in Australia, but the country has one of the highest gambling spends worldwide. Many players choose offshore sites like Card Player new AU picks where they can enjoy the latest gambling games from home. However, these sites don’t contribute taxes to the local economy, since they are based and licenced overseas.
In contrast, as we've seen with places like Atlantic City and Las Vegas, entire economies can be supported from gambling income, and given the fact that more spending is going to online platforms as opposed to in-person establishments, the tax benefits will be immense. While Japanese laws still allow for land-based casinos to an extent, this may not entirely curb the appetite for online gambling. Some of the appeal of this form of gambling includes the convenience of gambling whenever you want, the endless variety of games you can access, generous bonuses from various platforms, and even the social element of it.
Since Japan is clearly pushing back against online gambling, some consumers might turn to offshore platforms to have their needs met.
This might be despite the fact that using such platforms has also been deemed illegal. But thanks to the internet, consumers will be aware of the benefits that those in other places are enjoying and might want some of it for themselves.
This law is due to be promulgated by the end of June, and within the next three months, it will be fully rolled out. It will mean that Japanese consumers will have a less robust experience and less variety compared to those in other places, but there will be some options for them.
Ironically, there has been an uptick in crash game popularity on online gambling sites in the West. One of these is Plinko, a crash game that was adapted from the Japanese game Pachinko. So while non-Japanese citizens can play Plinko on online gambling sites depending on where they live, the Japanese market is shut out.
Only time will tell what the long-term implications of this bill will be and how it will impact the Japanese gaming economy on the world stage.
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