Asia Pac

From 1 September, the National Police Agency of Japan (NPA) will initiate its new ‘strategy of enforcement’ against unlicensed online casinos.
The campaign runs parallel to new laws implemented by the Diet (Parliament) to combat the exposure of unlicensed gambling, as the promotion of offshore gambling platforms will become a criminal offence.
Yet despite imposing harsher penalties, concerns remain that the police and government are criminalising the wrong parties in the fight against illegal gambling. Japan’s legal stance on online casinos has long been unyielding.

Set by Japan’s Penal Code, all forms of gambling outside state-regulated industries—such as horse racing and pachinko are illegal. But in recent years, offshore operators have exploited digital loopholes and linguistic accessibility to capture millions of Japanese consumers.

The government’s legislative response, passed in June, is Japan’s most sweeping to date: outlawing not only the operation and use of unlicensed gambling sites, but also the advertising, promotion, and referral to such platforms through any online medium.

The updated law criminalises a wide array of previously unregulated activity. Influencer endorsements, affiliate websites, ranking lists, banner ads, smartphone apps, and even user-generated content are now deemed illegal if they direct traffic to gambling websites not licensed within Japan.

Media platforms are being put on notice, with ISPs and app stores expected to comply with takedown requests. To bolster its reach, Japan has appealed to foreign regulators including those in Malta, Curaçao, the Isle of Man, and the Philippines—to block access to Japanese users or remove Japanese-language support from gambling services.

The NPA’s language is unambiguous. “The use of online casinos—regardless of server location—constitutes a criminal act under Japanese law,” it declared. The Ministry of Justice, meanwhile, frames the reform as a matter of national sovereignty in the digital age: a pushback against “vice markets” that prey on the social and financial vulnerabilities of Japanese citizens.

日本国内では、オンラインカジノに接続して賭博を行うことは犯罪です。また、日本国内にいる人を賭博に誘引する行為は、海外からでも違法です。絶対にやめましょう。#警察庁 #オンラインカジノ #アフィリエイト #ボーナスコード #暗号資産　 https://t.co/lBVcp2rz9J pic.twitter.com/GVupAO4IiV
— 警察庁 (@NPA_KOHO) May 13, 2025

Fighting a Trillion-Yen habit

The government’s newfound urgency is rooted in sheer scale. A 2024 survey conducted by the National Police Agency revealed that approximately 3.37 million people in Japan—nearly 3.4% of the population have used offshore casino websites at least once, with an estimated 1.97 million active users.

The average annual wager per user sits at a striking ¥630,000 (approx. €3,900), placing the total volume of illegal online gambling at around ¥1.24 trillion (approx. €7.7 billion). This figure dwarfs the legal betting markets, and has led lawmakers to view offshore gambling not just as a moral concern, but a fiscal one.

The picture darkens further when viewed through a social lens. Nearly 40% of users surveyed did not realise that gambling on offshore casino websites was illegal in Japan. Among regular gamblers, 46% reported having incurred debt, with many borrowing money or using high-interest consumer credit to finance their bets. As the financial consequences spill over into family life, public institutions are under mounting pressure to respond. But the state’s answer has not been to offer support—it has been to punish.

Enforcement has surged. In the first half of 2025 alone, Japanese police made 279 arrests tied to online gambling, more than double the tally for the whole of 2024. And while much of the law’s language appears directed at operators and facilitators, the overwhelming majority of those arrested were individual consumers. The scale of enforcement, critics argue, is not only unprecedented but strategically misdirected.

Prohibition over Protection

Despite launching Japan’s first Integrated Resort in Osaka—complete with a multibillion-yen casino floor—the government shows no appetite for legalising online gambling. The prevailing logic in policymaking circles is that to regulate is to legitimise, and that legalisation would only increase exposure and normalise risk-taking behaviours.

Ministries such as Finance, Health, and Internal Affairs view gambling as a regulatory burden, not a potential revenue stream to be managed or monetised. There is no political momentum to reframe gambling policy through a commercial or public health lens.

Unlike neighbouring states, which permits tightly controlled state-run online betting via Singapore Pools, or Hong Kong Jockey Cub (HKJC) type business. Japan has never formally proposed or consulted on launching a national, state-owned online gambling firm. The very idea remains anathema to the country’s legislative culture, which treats gambling not as a taxable utility but as a social hazard.

Yet the policy emphasis on criminality has exposed deeper contradictions. Public messaging around the new law focuses almost exclusively on deterrence. There is no state-backed campaign addressing gambling addiction, nor significant investment in treatment or financial rehabilitation programmes. As a result, critics warn, Japan is tackling a behavioural health issue with a criminal justice toolkit.

The cultural context makes the problem harder to untangle. In Japan, addiction is rarely discussed openly and often perceived as a moral failure rather than a health condition. The social stigma is so strong that few seek help voluntarily. This silence has been mirrored in policy, with addiction support conspicuously absent from the NPA’s rollout plan.

Whether this strategy can succeed remains uncertain. In a globalised digital economy, borders mean little to offshore platforms with Japanese-language support and crypto payment systems. If Japan continues to criminalise behaviour without providing alternatives, it risks not only driving users further underground—but also undermining public trust that cannot be won by enforcement alone.

The environment for gambling in the Philippines could be about to become more hostile as the Central Bank is eyeing tighter restrictions for players in the country.

A draft circular set out by the bank is aiming to limit the amount of money players could deposit on gambling websites and see the introduction of a 24-hour cool off period following heavy usage.

The Bangko Sentral Pilipinas’ (BSP) issued circular places an elevated focus on the payment providers when it comes to ensuring player protection is effective in the country.

When it comes to Online Gambling Payment Service Limitations, the regulator has underlined that PSPs must facilitate the implementation of the new measures.

BSP said: “It is imperative to ensure that digital payment services of payment service providers are not misused for activities that are socially harmful and detrimental to financial health.

“These regulations establish standards and expectations for PSPs in the provision of online gambling payment services as well as set the enhanced know-your-customer measures to uphold applicable legal prohibitions on access to and participation in online gambling.”

There was also an emphasis on the importance of collaboration between the payment sector and operators when it comes to onboarding and player protection.

The circular described the PSPs and OPSs concerned as needing to “have prudent acceptance criteria and procedures for the onboarding and monitoring of online gambling operators”.

“The said criteria and procedures must incorporate the following: a. PSPs and OPSs concerned shall ensure that they engage or partner with OGO that are licensed/authorised by or registered with the appropriate government agency duly empowered by law or its charter to license or authorise entities or business to engage in such activities.”

Signposting must also be adequate when it comes to ensuring the players can see where the safer gambling toolbox is available.

Feedback on the circular remains welcome until the 25th July, as the country continues to evolve into a new era for its gaming framework.

PAGCOR backing regulation

PAGCOR recently pushed its support behind stricter regulations in the Philippines but opposed a prohibition on online gaming.

Speaking on DZMM Teleradyo, the regulator’s Chair and CEO, Alejandro Tengco, asserted that “regulation is key” to strengthening his country’s gaming market. PAGCOR’s current [stance] is not a total ban, but stricter regulation,” he said.

Tengco endorsed measures proposed by Sherwin Gatchalian, which include a ban on using e-wallets to fund online betting, a minimum player age of 21, and, to discourage participation by low-income players, a minimum deposit requirement of PHP10,000 (£129).

On Friday (4 July), Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri filed the more aggressive ‘Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025’, a bill that seeks to implement an outright ban on online gambling.

Zubiro described gambling addiction in the Philippines as a growing “silent epidemic” and claimed: “For as long as gambling is within reach by almost anyone online, this is a social cancer that will continue to fester.”

Three Australian hotels have been found guilty by Victoria’s gambling authority of allowing minors to gamble on their premises.

An investigation into events spanning across four dates in 2024, and involving three minors across three venues, has resulted in a AU$38,000 (£18.2k) fine issued by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) handed over to the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH), which manages the venues.

Infringements related to the Cramers Hotel, Excelsior Hotel, and Mountain View Hotel, all located in the state of Victoria, and all publicly named and reprimanded by the VGCCC and its CEO, Suzy Neilan.

The ALH was penalised without conviction in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, pleading guilty to six charges after self-reporting the breaches to the VGCCC, which Neilan welcomed.

“Being accountable for wrongdoing demonstrates integrity, which has been a focus of the VGCCC’s ongoing work with gambling operators,’ she said.

“But it’s not enough to own up after the fact. Venues must be proactive about ensuring that minors do not access poker machine areas by ensuring they have in place appropriate systems, processes and staff.”

Too late for comfort
Each case showed significant supervision failures by floor staff, with the most serious one involving a child accompanied by two adults entering the poker machine area of the Excelsior Hotel in April 2024 and engaging with the machine being used by one of the adults.

In the Cramers Hotel, a 17-year-old visited the poker machine area in January without being asked to show their ID throughout multiple interactions with staff members, the VGCCC said. This occurred multiple times until employees intervened on 25 January.

The third case involved a 14-year-old entering the poker machine room of the Mountain View Hotel and successfully managing to gamble before staff realised what’s happening.

All three venues have been given two charges each by the VGCCC, one for allowing a minor to enter a gaming machine area and one for allowing a minor to gamble.

“I encourage all hotels and clubs to review their operations, including staff training, and consider making any adjustments required to ensure compliance with the law,” Neilan added.

Troublemaker Victoria
Neilan took on the role of VGCCC’s CEO in March of this year. Since then, she’s been focusing her efforts to fix what has been a troubled history for the state of Victoria in terms of customer care due diligence.

In 2024, the VGCCC gave a record AU$4.7m (£2.2m) fine to Tabcorp, the operator of Victoria’s wagering licence for retail and leisure venues, over lack of adequate staff training that led to failures to protect at-risk customers.

Tabcorp also faced a total of 54 charges by the VGCCC in 2023 for allegedly allowing minors to gamble and lacking reasonable supervision of on-site electronic betting terminals.

Naturally, the state has become a hotbed for problem gambling policies, going as far as adopting the strictest gambling harm rules in Australia back in 2023, specifically aimed at making gaming machines safer through measures like reducing the player spend cap and mandatory game spin rates.

The developments in Victoria come amid a national conversation about gambling harm in Australia, something policymakers have sought to address via the recommendations of the Murphy Report, published by a late MP in 2023.

Gambling reforms were shelved earlier this year ahead of the general election, but with the PM Anthony Albanese now firmly in the driving seat after his election win it could be back on the agenda.

A move to alter Australia’s TV advertising code for M-rated content, including gambling, has been vetoed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Free TV Australia, a body representing Australia’s commercial free-to-air TV networks, submitted a revised code to the ACMA in March after conducting a review of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice 2015.

One of the amendments proposed an extension of the times when M-rated content – which includes alcohol and gambling adverts – would be allowed for broadcasting on commercial TV.

The ACMA highlighted that after reviewing the document with “careful consideration”, it was not satisfied with the level of community safeguards that the revised code offers, essentially rejecting it by concluding that there is potential for children to be subjected to the M-rated content.

Following the rejection, the ACMA further stated that it is commencing its own review of the advertising landscape driven by outstanding community concerns.

The assessment will set out to reveal whether the current code is adequately protecting consumers, and if not – inform future policies on advertising standards.

In the meantime, the ACMA has advised Free TV to refer to the existing gambling advertising rules to ensure that they’re synchronised with its broadcast safeguards.

Furthermore, the media regulator has urged Free TV to extend these safeguards to all online TV content, on par with the approach taken by national broadcasters.

The latest development finds its roots in a wider campaign by the ACMA to clamp down on gambling advertisements amid rising concerns over problem gambling rates.

Just last week, influencers were threatened by the media regulator with a fine of up to AU$2.5m (£1.2m) if found promoting illegal gambling websites.

The warning was a result of a study by the University of Sydney which revealed that the number of Australian content creators that link to offshore operators is rapidly increasing.

Four Australian betting operators have breached rules around continuing to engage with consumers registered with BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER).

Buddybet, Ultrabet, VicBet and Topbet were each investigated by The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for unlawful acts against those wanting to cut down on gambling.

Firstly, Ultrabet was found guilty of reopening an account of someone at the end of their self-exclusion period and allowed that person to bet with that account. The firm also sent out marketing to another self-excluded person.

The NSER demands that once an individual registers with the service, operators must close that person’s account as soon as possible. The ACMA explained that accounts “must not be reopened or reinstated” once a person ceases to be registered with the NSER.

Instead, people at the end of their self-exclusion period who want to recommence gambling need to make a clear and deliberate choice to do so. Providers must also not send self-excluded people any form of electronic promotions or marketing including via emails or texts.

Authority member, Carolyn Lidgerwood, stated: “Wagering providers should know their obligations under the rules and know that we are enforcing them. The rules about account closure must be complied with.”

BetStop was launched in August 2023 as a free Australian Government initiative, and allows users to exclude themself from all Australian licensed online and phone wagering services in a single step.

“People on the NSER have made a conscious effort to exclude themselves from online gambling services,” Lingerwood summarised the platform’s purpose..

“Sending gambling marketing messages to people who are trying to stop gambling is unacceptable. Betting services must have systems in place that respect the decisions of people to self-exclude, or face further consequences.”

In order to prevent such instances from occurring, the ACMA has previously put emphasis on operators to; Implement robust monitoring systems, close registered individual accounts promptly, review marketing systems and procedures and monitor system changes and updates.

Player safety crackdown
Just a few weeks ago, Unibet received a AU$1m (£480,700/€560,100) penalty for the same wrongdoings. The FDJ United-owned operator had failed to close hundreds of accounts registered with BetStop.

A similar ACMA investigation accused the Unibet brand of over 100,000 contraventions of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

The main breach in question concerned the firm’s failure to close 954 customer accounts after said customers had registered with the NESR.

Meanwhile, PointsBet Australia Pty Ltd was also recently hit with an AUD$501k (£242k) fine by the ACMA over advertising breaches.

The authority launched an investigation into the online gambling provider, which uncovered “more than 800 messages” as part of what the regulator said was a spam advertisement campaign in contravention of e-marketing laws.

Details around the investigation revealed that in the period between September and November 2023, PointsBet had sent 705 emails with a direct link to its gambling products without the option to unsubscribe from such messaging.