Japan records 317 online gambling enforcement actions in 2025, highest since 2018

Japan’s National Police Agency says 317 people were arrested or otherwise subjected to enforcement action over suspected involvement in online gambling in 2025, setting a new high for the period since 2018 and underscoring the country’s sharper push against online casino activity.

According to fresh NPA data reported by Jiji Press on 23 April, the 2025 total rose by 38 from the previous year. The increase was driven mainly by a rise in individuals who used online casino sites on their own, with enforcement action against such users reaching 196, up by 54 year on year. The number of busted online casino cases also more than tripled to 150.

The new figure matters because Japan continues to treat online casino gambling from inside the country as a criminal offense even when the operator is licensed overseas. On its official public-warning page, the NPA states that connecting from Japan to gamble on overseas online casino sites violates the Penal Code, and the agency has been publicly stressing that online gambling is illegal regardless of the branding or the type of game involved.

The scale of the underlying market helps explain why enforcement is intensifying. In a January 2025 NPA-commissioned study on the online casino market, Japan’s estimated number of online casino users aged 15 to 79 was put at about 1.97 million, while annual wagers were estimated at roughly ¥1.24 trillion. The report also found that younger age groups, especially people in their 20s and 30s, account for a large share of activity.

The record 2025 tally is also arriving in a tougher policy environment. The NPA says a revised anti-gambling-addiction law, promulgated in June 2025 and effective from 25 September 2025, made it illegal to present websites or apps that provide illegal online gambling and to publish information that directs users to such services. The official government public-information portal likewise says online casino advertising and promotion are now prohibited, while Jiji reported that 25 affiliates and casino-linked payment service providers were among those subjected to enforcement action last year.

In practical terms, the 317-person record shows Japan moving beyond simple public warnings and into a broader disruption strategy targeting users, affiliates, payment channels and physical access points. Even so, the contrast between several hundred enforcement actions and an estimated user base in the millions suggests the authorities are still trying to catch up with the scale of the market. That is why the 2025 record is important: it signals not that the problem is shrinking, but that Japan is entering a more aggressive phase of enforcement.