Japan has asked the governments of eight countries to block its citizens from accessing online casino websites licensed within those countries as it steps up efforts against online gambling.
Kyodo reports that the eight countries in question are Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, Malta, Anjouan Island in the Comoros, Curacao of the Netherlands and the British territories of Isle of Man and Gibraltar, according to a government source.
Although gambling on offshore websites is illegal in Japan, it was recently estimated that citizens gambled JPY6.45 trillion (US$45 billion) on international sports alone via illegal offshore betting sites in 2024 – around five times more than the amount bet on domestic online casinos.
Japan’s House of Representatives earlier this month passed a bill aimed at tightening the regulations around illegal online gambling – a move reportedly in response to headline reports of celebrities and professional athletes having used online casinos.
Most forms of online gambling remain illegal in Japan, with the exception of lotteries and betting on horseracing, motorcycle racing and powerboat racing.
Kyodo cited a recent analysis of 40 online casino sites available in Japan – all of which were licensed in other countries and 70% of them in Curacao.
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