Japan Launches New Push Against Illegal Online Gambling
Japan’s parliament has approved a major revision to its Gambling Addiction Prevention Law targeting illegal offshore online gambling. The new measures ban advertisements—including affiliate marketing, ranking sites, and social media promotions—that direct users to unauthorized foreign gambling platforms . The law also boosts public awareness efforts by empowering the National Police Agency and Internet Hotline Center to label such content as “illegal information” and demand removals . It aims to criminalize not just operators but also promoters, such as influencers and celebrities (). Behind the crackdown is a recognition of the scale: roughly 3.37 million Japanese users wagered an estimated ¥1.2 trillion (≈ $8.3 billion) on illicit overseas sites last year, with many unaware such activity is illegal . The law will take effect approximately three months after formal promulgation, and media campaigns will educate especially younger demographics .
