The global online casino industry is expanding at an unprecedented rate and every year more countries warm up to the notion of legalizing online casino gaming. European countries specifically have made great progress in making online casinos accessible and safe for their customers, with EU gambling websites reporting the largest turnover when compared to any other continent.
But while Europe has taken care of business, countries on the other side of the world cannot boast the same accomplishment. Japan, in particular, has had a tumultuous history with gambling in general and no significant market has developed to meet any demand. In this article, we will explore the current state of Japanese online casinos and how they are expected to progress in the future.
Japanese Online Gambling Market
Japanese online casinos have one particular problem that all operators dread, which is an outright ban on online casinos in the country. At the time of this writing, very few forms of gambling are sanctioned by the government and none of those includes casino gaming. In fact, all kinds of casinos are currently unavailable in Japan, not just the online variety. As a result, enthusiastic players have no avenue when it comes to legal gambling. Of course, this does not take into account the illegal betting activities that some players choose to partake in.
Non-regulated Online Casino Operations
Presently, there is no truly legal way to play real money casino games for Japanese residents. It is not permitted to host any online gambling operation in Japan, save for those sanctioned and run by the government. This leaves players with only one viable way to satisfy their gaming desires and that is to turn to the grey markets.
While Japan can crackdown on gambling operators within the country, it has little power over offshore companies. In the best-case scenario, the government can issue ISP bans and prevent people from accessing specific websites. However, given the number of active gambling platforms and the new ones coming out almost daily like this Japanese casino website, the authorities can hardly keep track of every website out there. This leaves players with the opportunity to become members of certain online casinos, though this can have some consequences.
Playing at non-regulated casinos carries certain risks which are best avoided. However, given the ban, dedicated gamblers feel like they have no other choice, which may very well be true. First and foremost, unlicensed platforms cannot be held accountable by the law. This means that they can tamper with odds and payouts, turning the advantage further in the casino’s favor. There is also the possibility for a gambling website to deny payment if a player wins a significant sum. This is strictly prohibited by modern regulatory authorities, such as the Malta Gaming Authority or the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, to name a few. But where these institutions can intervene for the residents of their respective countries, Japanese customers do not enjoy the same privilege.
Furthermore, Japanese laws clearly state that no online casino may offer its services to residents of the country and the same residents are forbidden from participating in any unsanctioned form of gambling. Therefore, Japanese gamblers face risk on multiple fronts, both from the operators and their own government. It becomes especially tricky when one has to explain gambling profits to the tax authorities. Some have circumvented this by using cryptocurrencies, but it still carries risk, regardless.
Overview of Japanese Online Casinos
Overall, participating in online casino gaming is especially troublesome for Japanese customers. There are legitimate operators who can be relied on to be fair but it is never guaranteed. Of course, the risk of government reprisal is always there. Any Japanese resident who chooses to engage in online casino gaming does it at their own peril and it is not certain that the risk outweighs the reward. Moreover, given the country’s aversion to gambling, it seems that the situation will not change soon. Japan is only taking its first steps towards legalizing land-based casino establishments and that will not become a reality until a few years from now.