Which online casinos are licensed in Japan?
The register records online casino games as prohibited in Japan. Nothing to play is listed here, per the register read 2 Oct 2026. Legal age: 20+.
Source: Third-party source · read 2 Oct 2026
- Status
- Prohibited
- Regulator
- National Police Agency (NPA) for enforcement; Casino Regulatory Commission (カジノ管理委員会) for land-based IR casinos only
- Legal age
- 20+public gaming and future IR casino
- Licence regime
- No online casino licence. Public games only (horse racing, keirin, kyotei, auto race, takarakuji, toto); IR land-based casinos (IR Act 2018): only one approved project, MGM Osaka (Yumeshima), opening targeted for autumn 2030
- Key facts
- Online gambling is an offence (Penal Code art. 185-186), including for the player. Revised Act on measures against addiction (passed in June 2025, in force since 25 September 2025): prohibits opening an online casino site and any advertising or inducement, including affiliate sites, “top casinos” rankings, affiliate links and influencers. NPA (2025 survey): about 3.37 million online casino users and about ¥1,240 billion wagered per year. 2026: first arrests of operators of affiliate sites (Gifu) and of a payment network (about ¥340 billion processed); the NPA has sent cooperation requests to 8 jurisdictions (Canada/Kahnawake, Costa Rica, Georgia, Malta, Curaçao, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Anjouan); the Ministry of Internal Affairs is studying mandatory blocking by ISPs. MGM Osaka: construction started in April 2025, opening targeted for 2030.
What a player risks
Online casino gambling is prohibited in this market; no operator is licensed to offer it. A site that takes players from this market does so without any local licence, whatever licence it holds elsewhere: its players have no local-regulator protection or dispute resolution, and deposits, payments or winnings may be blocked or confiscated. Depending on local law, playing may itself be an offence and may lead to fines or prosecution. The register records for Japan: Illegal and sanctioned: a player resident in Japan who bets on an offshore casino commits a gambling offence (Penal Code art. 185: fine; art. 186: habitual gambling punishable by imprisonment; amounts not re-checked online today); players have been prosecuted, and affiliation or advertising aimed at Japan has been prohibited since 25 September 2025.
Licences valid in Japan
Nothing to play is listed here: prohibited.
Sources the register cites
- japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/24/japan/crime-legal/gambling-law-takes-effect
- japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/18/japan/crime-legal/online-casinos-advertising-ban
- brightsideofnews.com/gambling/japan-online-casino-crackdown-2026
- focusgn.com/asia-pacific/japan-arrests-nine-over-offshore-gambling-payment-operation