Man arrested in Japan for alleged illegal online gambling

Chomabayashi is accused of spending JPY28bn on online gambling and promoting the activity on social media.

Japan.- A man named Makoto Chomabayashi has been arrested in Japan for alleged online gambling and for promoting a site to new players.

According to Japanese news outlet The Asahi Shimbun, Chomabayashi allegedly wagered JPY90m (US$625,500) mainly on baccarat on Stake from August 2022 to April this year. Investigators believe he may have placed the total amount he wagered may have been as high as JPY28bn. The Metropolitan Police Department said he admitted to the charges and accepted that he knew online gambling is illegal in Japan.

Chomabayashi is also suspected of promoting the gambling site by posting pictures of his gambling wins on X, using the name Meikyo Shisui, which means “polished mirror, still water” or a “clear and serene mind”. Investigators think he referred over 100 players to the platform and earned about US$48,000 in commissions.

Japan’s lower house approves bill to ban online casinos

Yesterday (June 3), Japan’s House of Representatives approved a bill that woul amend the Basic Law for Countermeasures against Gambling Addiction to ban operating and promoting online casinos in the country. The legislation passed with a majority vote and will now be debated in the House of Councillors.

It’s expected that the proposal will be enacted during the current parliamentary session. Both national and local governments would publicise the illegality of online casinos. In March, the National Police Agency (NPA) said 3.37 million people in the country had gambled at online casinos, spending around JPY1.24tn (US$8.4bn) annually.

See also: Japanese bettors wagered US$45bn on offshore gambling sites in 2024