Online casino, including live dealer blackjack and baccarat, is illegal in Japan, even when the site is licensed abroad. Gambling is a crime under Article 185 of the Penal Code (a fine of up to 500,000 yen), habitual gambling under Article 186 carries up to three years’ imprisonment, and the National Police Agency arrested 279 people in 62 online gambling cases in 2024. Since September 2025, an amendment to the Basic Act on Measures Against Gambling Addiction has also banned operating online casino sites aimed at Japan and spreading information, including ads and affiliate links, that steers people to them.
This guide explains the law, the enforcement record, what is legal in Japan (public racing, lotteries and the coming Osaka integrated resort), how live blackjack and other tables work and what they cost, and where to get help. It is informational only and recommends no gambling site.
Live casino in Japan at a glance (October 2026)
| Question | Short answer | Legal basis or source |
|---|---|---|
| Is online casino legal from Japan? | No, including sites licensed overseas | Penal Code Art. 185 and 186; National Police Agency |
| Penalty for gambling | Fine of up to 500,000 yen or a petty fine | Penal Code Art. 185 |
| Penalty for habitual gambling | Up to 3 years’ imprisonment | Penal Code Art. 186(1) |
| Running a gambling place for profit | 3 months to 5 years’ imprisonment | Penal Code Art. 186(2) |
| Advertising or promoting online casinos | Prohibited since September 2025 | Amended Basic Act on Measures Against Gambling Addiction |
| Online gambling arrests (2024) | 279 people in 62 cases | National Police Agency |
| First legal casino | Osaka integrated resort, opening targeted for around autumn 2030 | IR Implementation Act; Osaka IR |
| Where to get help | Prefectural mental health and welfare centres; national directory at the National Center for Addiction Services Administration | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare network |
The Penal Code: Articles 185 and 186
Japan’s Penal Code makes gambling a crime and has done so for more than a century. Article 185 punishes a person who gambles with a fine of up to 500,000 yen or a petty fine, except where the stakes are only things provided for momentary entertainment. Article 186(1) punishes habitual gambling with imprisonment of up to three years, and Article 186(2) punishes anyone who runs a gambling place or organizes gamblers for profit with three months to five years.
These articles apply whether the game happens in a back room or on a phone. When a person in Japan places real-money bets at an online casino, the gambling takes place in Japan, so a foreign licence from Curaçao, Malta or anywhere else does not make it lawful. Japanese police have prosecuted players, not only operators: the NPA’s 2025 white paper describes a case in which a man who habitually gambled at an overseas online casino was arrested for habitual gambling, and the affiliate who recruited him was arrested for aiding and abetting.
Exceptions: what is legal
Legal gambling in Japan exists only where a special law authorizes it. That covers the four public sports (horse racing, bicycle keirin, motorboat racing and auto racing), the takarakuji lottery and sports promotion lotteries such as toto, each run by or for public bodies under their own legislation and partly available through official online channels. Betting on the public sports is restricted to people aged 20 and over, even though the general age of adulthood fell to 18 in April 2022. There is no legal online casino, and no live dealer table anywhere in Japan is legal today. The result is a clear dividing line: if a game is not run under one of these special laws, it is illegal gambling, however it is packaged. Pachinko halls operate under the amusement business law with a prize-exchange system that is widely discussed but outside the scope of this guide.
Enforcement: the numbers behind the warnings
The National Police Agency treats online casinos as a priority. Its 2025 white paper reports that in 2024 the police carried out enforcement in 62 online gambling cases and arrested 279 people, up from 13 cases and 107 people the year before. Of those, 55 cases and 227 people involved “non-store-based” online casinos played on smartphones and home computers rather than in illegal internet cafes.
The same report summarizes an NPA-commissioned survey carried out in fiscal 2024:
| Finding | Figure |
|---|---|
| People in Japan estimated to have used online casino sites | About 3.37 million |
| Estimated annual amount wagered from Japan | About 1.2423 trillion yen |
| Users and ex-users aware they had a gambling addiction | About 60% |
| Respondents unaware online casinos are illegal in Japan | About 44% |
| Top 40 Japanese-language casino sites holding overseas licences | All 40; about 70% licensed in Curaçao, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Sites not clearly stating that use from Japan is prohibited | 38 of 40 |
Police action extends to the money and the marketing around online casinos: payment service providers and affiliates have been arrested on habitual gambling and organized crime proceeds charges. The NPA and the Consumer Affairs Agency run a public campaign whose posters state plainly that connecting to an online casino from Japan and gambling is a crime.
The 2025 amendment: a ban on online casino promotion
In June 2025 the Diet passed an amendment to the Basic Act on Measures Against Gambling Addiction, and it came into effect on 25 September 2025. According to the NPA, the amendment prohibits displaying websites and other platforms that provide venues for illegal online gambling, and prohibits spreading information that directs people to them. It also requires national and local governments to make sure the public knows that online gambling is illegal.
In practice this covers the ranking sites, comparison pages, banner ads, influencer posts and affiliate links that have driven much of the traffic to Japanese-language casino sites. Content of this kind can be treated as illegal information and removed at the request of the authorities. It is also one reason this page carries no list of casinos: recommending online casinos to readers in Japan is now prohibited.
Offshore casino claims, checked
| Claim you may see | What the law and the police say |
|---|---|
| “The casino is licensed abroad, so playing from Japan is legal.” | False. The gambling takes place where you are. All 40 sites in the NPA’s desk research held overseas licences, and that did not make their use from Japan lawful. |
| “Only operators get arrested.” | False. Players have been arrested for gambling and habitual gambling, and affiliates for aiding and abetting. |
| “Free play is harmless.” | The NPA survey found that about 75% of people who had accessed online casino sites went on to wager money. |
| “Crypto keeps you anonymous.” | Police investigate the payment flows behind online casinos, and payment service providers have been arrested. |
| “The site does not forbid Japan, so it must be allowed.” | 38 of the 40 sites surveyed did not clearly state that use from Japan is prohibited. Silence in a site’s terms says nothing about Japanese law. |
Gambling while travelling abroad
The position is different when you are physically in another country. Articles 185 and 186 are not among the offences that the Penal Code applies to Japanese nationals for acts committed outside Japan, so playing at a licensed land-based casino while travelling, for example in Macau, Singapore or South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos, is generally not treated as a crime in Japan. Each destination has its own age limits and entry rules. That exception does not extend to logging in to an online casino from home, because the play then happens in Japan.
Integrated resorts: Japan’s first legal casino
The Act on Promotion of Development of Specified Integrated Resort Areas (2016) and the IR Implementation Act (2018) allow a limited number of integrated resorts that include casinos, supervised by the Casino Regulatory Commission. The government approved Osaka’s plan in April 2023, and the project, developed by a consortium led by MGM Resorts and ORIX on the artificial island of Yumeshima, held its groundbreaking ceremony on 24 April 2025. The official schedule targets an opening around autumn 2030.
Japanese residents will face strict entry rules under the IR Implementation Act: an entry charge of 6,000 yen in total for each 24-hour period (two charges of 3,000 yen, one national and one local), and limits of three visits in any seven days and ten visits in any 28 days, with identity checks at the door. Foreign visitors will not pay the entry charge. Until the Osaka resort opens, there is no legal live casino table in Japan.
Live dealer games: how they work and what they cost
The search term “ライブ カジノ ブラックジャック” (live casino blackjack) brings many Japanese readers to this page. A live dealer game is a real table run by a human dealer and streamed online; cameras and card scanners let bets settle automatically, as our guide to how live dealer games work explains. International studios such as Evolution stream tables in many languages for licensed markets elsewhere, but playing any of them from Japan is illegal whatever language the dealer speaks.
For readers outside Japan, or for anyone weighing what the games really cost, these are the long-run house edges for standard rules as calculated by Wizard of Odds:
| Game | Typical bet | House edge (standard rules) |
|---|---|---|
| Blackjack | Main hand, basic strategy | About 0.5% with good rules |
| Baccarat | Banker / Player / Tie at 8:1 | 1.06% / 1.24% / 14.36% |
| Roulette (single zero) | Any bet | 2.70% |
| Sic bo | Big or Small | 2.78% |
Blackjack’s low edge assumes perfect basic strategy and 3:2 payouts; mistakes and side bets raise it quickly. No betting system changes these numbers. Our guide to when to hit in blackjack shows the decisions that keep the edge near its minimum.
Risks beyond the law
- Debt. In the NPA survey, half or more of users and ex-users in their 20s and 30s said they had taken on debt because of online casino gambling.
- No recourse. No Japanese regulator supervises offshore casinos, and their foreign licences rarely help a player in Japan recover funds.
- Payment agents. Deposits often run through payment intermediaries that police treat as part of the gambling offence.
- Misleading “legal” claims. Sites and affiliates that say playing from Japan is legal because the casino is licensed abroad are wrong.
Where to get help in Japan
Gambling disorder is treatable, and support is free. Every prefecture and designated city has a mental health and welfare centre (精神保健福祉センター) that offers consultations on gambling problems for the person affected and for family members. The National Center for Addiction Services Administration (依存症対策全国センター), based at Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, publishes a nationwide directory of consultation services and medical institutions, along with self-help groups such as Gamblers Anonymous meetings. Our responsible gambling page lists warning signs and practical first steps.
If debt is part of the problem, consumer affairs centres and legal aid services can advise on repayment and on stopping further borrowing. Asking for help early, before debts grow, gives the most options.
Frequently asked questions
Is online casino legal in Japan?
No. Gambling is a crime under Article 185 of the Penal Code, and habitual gambling under Article 186. Playing at an overseas online casino from Japan is illegal even if the site holds a foreign licence, and the police have arrested players as well as operators and affiliates.
Can I play live dealer blackjack online in Japan?
Not legally. Live dealer blackjack is a real-money casino game, so playing it online from Japan falls under the Penal Code’s gambling offences. There is no legal live blackjack table in Japan until the Osaka integrated resort opens.
What is the penalty for online gambling in Japan?
Gambling carries a fine of up to 500,000 yen or a petty fine (Article 185). Habitual gambling carries up to three years’ imprisonment (Article 186). In 2024, police arrested 279 people in 62 online gambling cases.
When will Japan’s first casino open?
The Osaka integrated resort on Yumeshima broke ground on 24 April 2025, and the official schedule targets an opening around autumn 2030.
How much will Japanese residents pay to enter a casino?
Under the IR Implementation Act, Japanese residents will pay a total entry charge of 6,000 yen per 24-hour period (two charges of 3,000 yen) and may visit no more than three times in seven days and ten times in 28 days.
Is it legal to advertise online casinos in Japan?
No. Since the amendment to the Basic Act on Measures Against Gambling Addiction took effect in September 2025, spreading information that directs people to illegal online gambling, including ads, ranking sites and affiliate links, is prohibited.
Is it illegal for Japanese citizens to gamble in casinos abroad?
Generally no. The Penal Code’s gambling articles do not apply to Japanese nationals for acts committed outside Japan, so playing at a licensed land-based casino while travelling is not usually a crime in Japan. Playing an online casino from inside Japan is different and is illegal.
Where can I get help with gambling addiction in Japan?
Contact your prefecture’s mental health and welfare centre, or use the national directory of consultation services published by the National Center for Addiction Services Administration. Family members can also seek advice.
Sources
- National Police Agency: White Paper on Police 2025, Topics III (online casino enforcement 2024, FY2024 survey, 2025 amendment)
- Japanese Law Translation: Penal Code (Act No. 45 of 1907), Articles 185 and 186
- AGB: new law aiming to counter gambling addiction in Japan comes into effect (25 September 2025)
- GGRAsia: Osaka IR groundbreaking ceremony, 24 April 2025; opening around autumn 2030
- National Center for Addiction Services Administration (依存症対策全国センター): national directory of consultation services
- Wizard of Odds: blackjack house edge
Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the page address. Verified corrections are made with a dated note.