Arrests Hit Record High in Japan over Online Gambling

Tokyo, April 23 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police arrested or took other enforcement actions against 317 people for their suspected involvement in online gambling in 2025, highest on record since 2018, National Police Agency data showed Thursday.

The annual total increased by 38 from the previous year, led by an increase in individuals who used online casino sites by themselves.

Online gambling is legal in some countries but not in Japan. Betting money through foreign online casinos constitutes the crime of gambling under the Penal Code if conducted from within Japan.

"Although more people recognize it as illegal, enough measures have yet to be taken," an agency official said. "We'll continue working to create an environment in which people are not allowed to use or simply cannot use (online casinos)."

In most cases, online casinos lack physical places allowing customers to make bets. Their gambling services are usually accessed from smartphones.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]