Gambling Laws in Japan

The season of change is in Japan.

In December of 2016, Parliament passed the that will change the landscape of gambling in the country. Big players like Las Vegas’ MGM Resorts International are pressing for a part of the business, as expectations are high.

Yokohama and Osaka, Japan’s second- and third-largest cities, are presumed to be the locations for the first casinos. Some of the hopeful government officials expect construction on at least two resorts to be completed before the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The new law allows for casino gambling as long as the gaming floor is part of an entire resort complex.

The resort must include a hotel, international conference hall, and entertainment venues. There won’t be any small one-off casinos sprinkled around the area. Operators are subject to a stringent approval process, and only the biggest and the best will come out with a nod of approval.

While the Integrated Resort Promotion Law will change the landscape of casino gambling in Japan, the laws regarding racing, football betting, and the lottery will remain intact.

There are plenty of gambling opportunities for residents, but they are only legal through government-approved vendors.

The Japan Racing Association provides ten race courses as well as forty-three Off Track Betting facilities and online and phone betting.

The non-JRA tracks are overseen by local governments and also have OTB opportunities, but the biggest bettors tend to stick with the JRA tracks.

The lottery is appealing in Japan, as prizes are tax-free. However, for this type of gaming to be legal, less than 50% of the entire sales can be issued as a prize. 40% goes to local government, 1% to special welfare, 12% to administration costs and staff, and 45% to the winner.

Toto betting is on J-League soccer pools through sanctioned Toto booths in gas stations, convenience shops, and other locations. There are around 6,000 booths throughout Japan, and the betting sheet costs 100 yen per line. Top payouts can go as high as 100 million JPY, and like the lottery, the prizes are tax-free. Results are posted on toto-dream.com.

Boat and bike racing are also on the approved gambling list in Japan and are government-controlled. The governments claim approximately 25% of the take, with the rest going to the winning ticket holders.

On the flip side, there are illegal gambling opportunities throughout the country provided by the Yakuza, Japan’s organized crime organization. They are known to run illicit casinos featuring high-stakes Pachinko, Mahjong, and Baccarat, and are unforgiving when it comes to payments due.

It’s also difficult for the government to get involved in its monitoring. So, many online casinos and sportsbooks do offer betting services to Japanese punters.

The Japan Racing Association does offer some online betting services, but only to registered members who subscribe to the service. There isn’t an open betting website available to everyone.

Although there aren’t any casinos in Japan, at least not at present, there are numerous betting outlets scattered throughout the country.

There are 12,000 Pachinko parlors, and many of them are located right outside the train stations. The payments will be made to winners via tokens that need to be cashed in away from the premises.

Customers can buy lottery tickets from the various convenience and department stores, and many sales outlets are also positioned near train stations. Some ATMs also allow for lottery ticket sales.

For all of the public races like the boat race, bicycle, and motorcycle, there are different tracks, as well as ticket outlets in the major cities. J-League Soccer Pools (Football Toto) are also purchased through dedicated booths in some obscure locations like electronic stores or car lots.

Off Track Betting is offered for both Japan Racing Association events, as well as the non-JRA tracks. The following are the ten JRA race courses:

Tokyo Racecourse

Opened: 1933

Address: 1-1 Hiyoshicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-0024, Japan

Phone: +81 42-363-3141

Nakayama Racecourse

Opened: 1990

Address: 1-1-1 Kosaku, Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture 273-0037, Japan

Phone: +81 47-334-2222

Kyoto Racecourse

Opened: 1999

Address: 612-8266, Mukaijima Matabee, Fushimi-Ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 612-8266, Japan

Website: http://jra.jp/facilities/race/kyoto/index.html

Hanshin Racecourse

Opened: 1949

Address: Japan, Hyōgo Prefecture, Takarazuka

Phone: +81 798-51-7151

Chukyo Racecourse

Opened: 1994

Address: Shikita-1225 Magomecho, Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture 470-1132, Japan

Phone: +81 52-623-2001

Fukushima Racecourse

Opened: 1918

Address: Japan, 960-8114 Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima, Matsunamicho, 9−23

Phone: +81 24-534-2121

Niigata Racecourse

Opened: 1965

Address: 3490 Sasayama, Kita-ku, Niigata, Niigata Prefecture 950-3301, Japan

Phone: +81 25-259-3141

Kokura Racecourse

Opened: 1994

Address: 4 Chome-5-1 Kitagata, Kitakyushu, Japan

Phone: +81 93-962-3236

Sapporo Racecourse

Opened: 1907

Address: Japan, 060-0016 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo

Phone: +81 11-726-0461

Hakodate Racecourse

Opened: 1896

Address: Japan, 042-8585 Hokkaido, Hakodate

Phone: +81 138-53-1021

Winning Pachinko: The Game of Japanese Pinball by Sedensky, Eric

This book is a closer look at Pachinko, the game that’s played by over thirty million Japanese and offers more than 12,000 parlors throughout the country. It’s an in-depth look at Pachinko that’s beneficial for anyone that doesn’t live in Japan and isn’t well-versed in the intricacies of the game.

Horse Racing in Japan: 2017 e-book by National Association of Racing in Japan

This e-book features the ins and outs of horse racing throughout Japan, including its history and present-day status. This book includes contacts, addresses, and statistics on the racecourses. It also covers the appeal of racing to the Japanese and global betting community.

How does Mahjong factor into the Japanese gambling climate?

Do the non-JRA racecourses provide legal betting opportunities?

What is the most popular game of chance in Japan?