Lawmakers in Japan are preparing to submit a new proposal that will tighten rules on illegal online casinos. Both the opposition and ruling parties have agreed on the need for stronger regulations.
Japan is preparing to tighten its grip on illegal online casinos. Ooka Toshitaka, Chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Cabinet, had spoken of his plans to introduce a new bill by the end of May. The strong backing from lawmakers means there is a good chance it will pass before the current Diet session concludes on June 22.
The proposal will likely move forward during the current session of the National Diet. The National Diet serves as Japan’s main lawmaking body. It handles the creation and approval of all national laws. This push for tougher rules isn’t happening in a vacuum. Political leaders have spent months discussing how to improve the country’s fight against gambling addiction.
The current regulatory efforts are especially critical as Japan gears up to open its very first casino resort at the same time. Additionally, two more projects could be on the horizon as momentum builds in the Diet to revive the original plan of three casino resorts.
The new bill is expected to ban all advertising for online casino platforms. This goes beyond just ads to include links and other tools that make it easier for people to find and use these sites. However, it’s still unclear how Japan will enforce these rules.
The country hasn’t taken strong action against illegal online casinos so far. Many are still running today. These sites are unlikely to comply with the new gambling regulations as most of them are based offshore and operate outside of Japan’s legal reach.
Still, the bill will give Japanese authorities more power to act. Officials say around 3.37 million people in Japan are gambling online and many of them are using offshore websites. These gamblers could be spending as much as $8.52 billion every year, revenue that could instead be spent legally.
Problem gambling remains a serious concern despite the numerous steps the country has already taken. Many people still find it hard to talk openly about gambling problems because of the shame and stigma attached to it.
Lawmakers are thus pushing this bill forward in the hope of bringing more attention to the problem and encouraging a more open and supportive approach. Talks about cracking down on online casinos in Japan began to surface in April.
The government now sees it as urgent to act, mainly because gambling addiction is becoming a bigger problem across the country. Recent data shows that one in five young people in Japan are choosing to gamble rather than pay their bills which is highly alarming.
The proposed bill will be tabled in goodwill, but it doesn’t include any punishments for those who break the rules. As such, experts worry that this could make it difficult to actually stop illegal online casinos. Still, the government plans to launch public awareness campaigns to spread the message that online gambling is illegal in Japan.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications created a panel of experts to tackle the issue. They’re exploring new ways to shut down illegal gambling, including the possibility of blocking people from reaching these websites altogether.
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