Tokyo: Japan has appealed to eight countries and regions to prevent its residents from accessing licensed online casino websites, as reported by a government source. It is illegal in Japan to engage in gambling through overseas-based betting platforms, prompting the government to take action by urging operators to restrict access to these sites, many of which offer services in the Japanese language.

According to Lao News Agency, Japan has intensified efforts to combat illegal gambling following media reports that some professional athletes and celebrities have engaged in online casinos. A police survey estimated that over 3 million people in Japan have participated in online gambling activities. Although these gambling sites are legally operated in certain countries, they remain illegal in Japan, where only lotteries and betting on specific races-horse, bicycle, powerboat, and speedway motorcycle-are sanctioned forms of gambling.

Japan has reached out to Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, Malta, Anjouan Island in the Comoros, Curacao of the Netherlands, and the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, both of which are British territories, as per the information provided by the source. A new law is anticipated to be enacted soon in Japan to tighten restrictions on illegal online gambling by prohibiting websites from channeling traffic to casino sites. The government intends to reiterate its request to these eight nations and regions once the bill is passed.

An analysis of 40 online casino sites available in Japanese revealed that all operators held licenses, with approximately 70 percent registered in Curacao, a Dutch island territory in the Caribbean. It is estimated that gamblers in Japan spend about 1.24 trillion yen ($8.6 billion) annually, according to police statistics. Only two of the sites explicitly declared that access from Japan is not allowed, while six of the 35 sites confirmed to have been accessed had all their traffic originating from Japan.

Due to the legal operation of these sites under foreign licenses, Japan faces challenges in prosecuting operators for gambling-related offenses. Japanese authorities are instead focusing on cracking down on payment agents and promoters who advertise these sites on social media platforms in exchange for rewards.