The Land of the Rising Sun on gambling, on the one hand has very strict rules and on the other hand lets it be, turning a blind eye. According to current law, the only games allowed to the Japanese are lotteries and betting on horse, bicycle and boat races.
In recent times, and after lengthy political discussion, the government has approved the opening of three resort casinos on Japanese territory. These, however, have not yet been realized, and must have a purely tourist vocation.
Allowed on the national territory is the game of Pachinko, which in theory should not give cash prizes. This game represents to the Japanese what slots are to players in most of the rest of the world.
It is a very popular game and there are many addicts with addiction problems. These are people who play almost all day long and find Pachinko to be their source of income. Although no money is won, only items or other balls to play with, these become commodities to be exchanged for money.
Are Online Casinos Japan Legal? Yes and No
The situation with online casino Japan is also complicated.
The rule is that it is not illegal to play on an online Japanese casino if it is not based in Japan. This means that a Japanese citizen can gamble online at a recommended casino at a site based in Europe, the US or elsewhere. The reason for this is that Japanese law does not apply to these sites, which would effectively prohibit such gambling activities.
So on the one hand best rated online casinos are illegal in Japan, on the other hand playing on an online casino from Japan is not. And as we said, the reason is that Japanese laws cannot be applied to a casino that is legal in the state where it is based.
