And though, as the article states, 'Japanese criminal law declares unambiguously that gambling is illegal', when you dig deeper: Japan’s government-run horseracing industry is three times bigger than any other horseracing business in the world, with nearly $30 billion wagered every year. Even with poker illegal, the Everest Poker Japan Cup was held here n 2007, and the All-Japan Poker Championship was co-organized by a local newspaper. Online gambling is also widespread. The laws are on the books, but little is done to go after casual gamblers.

Published Thursday, Sep. 3, 2020, 9:18 am

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By Takuma Tanaka

If you are a resident of Japan, chances are you know that gambling is not legal in the country. However, the question remains. Should we strive to get gambling legalized in Japan? What would be the pros and cons of doing this? What steps can the government take to ensure that its citizens will be able to get the major entertainment value that gambling can provide?

If you want to find out the answers to these questions, read this article as soon as possible. We will try to give you some of the most pertinent information about gambling in Japan and how it is continually progressing at present.

Gambling in Japan: The History

Officially speaking, gambling in this part of the world is still considered legal and has been considered illegal since 1907. By the end of the Meiji era, many official casinos have popped up in this side of the world. In particular, these casinos reside in Tokyo and outside of the city.

Fast forward to 2016, the Japanese government and prime minister Shinzo Abe has passed a law that could turn the tide and make them illegal in the future. Japanese residents and other tourists who are fond of gambling would have to wait until at least nine years in 2025 before the law takes effect in full.

This year small gambling associations have already started to penetrate the Japanese economy. Some speculate that more Japanese casinos will open before the 2020 Olympics which can accommodate the influx of tourists that will come for the games.

Legal Gambling Games in Japan

As of press time, there are some legal gambling games that have already started to gain traction in popularity within the country as the integrated resort industry grows. These are as follows:

The Lottery Games

With this particular type of game, you can expect a much greater chance of winning. All you have to do is buy a lottery ticket from any participating store and scratch the surface. When it reveals similar characters in one row or column, you’ll win the prize.

Pachinko

Essentially, this particular type of game works like a slot machine. Instead of waiting for cash prizes, you will get to win gift certificates and vouchers that you can use to get products from participating retail stores around the metro. This is essentially done to circumvent the strict Japanese laws against gambling.

Racing Games

This is one of the most lawful ways to gamble in Japan. Whether you prefer a horse racing event or bicycle and car races, you can place your bets and hope to win any of these contests. Tourism and tax can promote these games. The good thing about this is that you don’t have to worry about the police getting in your tail because of participation.

All you have to do is place your bet enjoy the game.

Exploring the Online Gambling Industry in Japan

In terms of online gaming, this is where the line blurs. Japanese laws have strict rules against physical gambling institutions. However, online games of any nature are complete and legal in the country. Perhaps this is because the introduction of mobile gaming technology in Japan came in quite late.

The good news is that you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy them. If you are fond of online gambling, there are many websites that can accommodate players from Japan and other countries as well. You just have to do a little bit of research to find them.

A great examples of online gaming portals that you can visit for entertainment you can find thanks to reviews on bitcoin casino. One advantage you can have with bitcoin casinos is that it is safe and secure to use. You wouldn’t have to think about being hacked once you login and play.

As traveling to Japan can be quite enjoyable, chances are you won’t even want to sit around in front of your computer to play in an online casino anyway. You would want to explore anything and everything that you would like to see in the country before you leave.

The Main Reason for Legalization

Gambling both in physical and online casinos can definitely give players a way to relax and properly enjoy themselves without any inhibitions. It provides entertainment and the diversion of retired professionals who may want to have some time to themselves after a hard day’s work.

Why should we consider legalizing gambling as a whole? Isn’t there another way to pass the time without having to spend too much money? Yes, there is. However, as part of the social and economic freedoms that can be afforded to any citizen by its government, the governing entity shouldn’t dictate how people get to spend their own hard-earned cash.

Conclusion

This is why gambling should already be legalized in Japan as soon as possible. It will not only be good for the people in terms of entertainment, it can also be good for the economy because many tourists will be able to travel to Japan and enjoy themselves while still allowing the Japanese government to make a sizable amount of revenue from any and all casinos that may pop up once gambling becomes legal in the country.

Once the Japanese government realizes the benefits of gambling, they will certainly be able to provide a safe and secure environment for those interested individuals to play in. Fortunately, gambling is already slowly being introduced in Japanese mainstream media. It’s only a matter of time before everything falls into place for legalization.

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Organized Crime Embedded in Japan

It’s the story of mayhem, suspense and on the seat excitement. Or maybe not. The Japanese organized mobsters, known as Yakuza, are the stuff of legend nowadays. Popularized in literature, manga, anime as well as Hollywood, the Yakuza have always had a very real place in Japanese society. Scorned by politicians and feared by the masses, average Japanese would rather not acknowledge their existence. If you wander off to any nightclub, strip club, bar or pachinko parlor, the Yakuza won’t be far.

• The Yakuza is the organized crime group in Japan
• The Yakuza is behind pachinko parlors
• It is the World’s largest organized crime syndicate.
• Anti-Yakuza legislation is being put in the Casino bill

It has been claimed that there are over 1,000 illegal casinos in Tokyo. Those not only include pachinko, but mah-jong parlors as well. It would be more accurate to call these casinos gambling houses since they are far smaller and more obscure than the larger casinos in Macau. Baccarat is also popular among the Japanese. A small illegal gambling establishment can easily make $15-$20 million in a year.
Pachinko alone has been estimated to be a $181 million dollar industry. Much money is also made through betting on sporting events and fights. This revenue is definitely goes through Yakuza hands and isn’t in accordance to Japanese gambling laws. Even the off-shore gambling houses that catered to Japanese involve Yakuza. Their influence has even wondered into the realm of the adult film industry.

Yakuza Origins

The history of the Yakuza goes way back to the Edo period (1603-1868) in feudal Japan. Japanese society was divided different groups or classes such as the warrior class (samaurai) and the farmer class. Two classes that aren’t mentioned as much are the tekiya class (thieves) and the bakuto (gamblers). The Yakuza grew out of those two classes. As it now, gambling was outlawed in feudal Japan so the gamblers had to set up gambling houses in abandoned temple or shrines at the outskirts of villages and towns.

Mostly made up of people of lower social standing and misfits of society, the Yakuza’s name means “8-9-3.” This is a losing hand in Oicho-Kabu, a type of blackjack. Besides gambling, Yakuza also took part in loan sharking, forcing local customers in local markets to purchase their fake goods. Modern day structure of the Yakuza didn’t come into development until the early 20th century. During World War II, the Yakuza completely had to disband in order to help with the war effort. After the war ended they continued their activites.

Why Is Gambling Illegal In Japan

Having a complex hierarchy, the Yakuza have more or less a classical organized crime system as seen in other groups of organized crime such as the Italian Mafia. Many Yakuza can be identified by their full-body tattoos. Known as irezumi, these tattoos can be seen most while members traditionally take off their shirts to play oicho-kabu with each other. Normally they wear long sleeved shirts to conceal their tattoos in public. Today families are dominant among the 103,000 active members. The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest family which accounts for half all members. Created in 1915, the family comes from Kobe. Sumiyoshi-kai is considered a more laid back family with shared leadership.

Making New Casinos Yakuza Free

It has been estimated that if Japan were to have legalized casino gambling, it could be the second largest world. MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas Sands Corp, Melco Crown Entertainment as well as Wynn Resorts Ltd are operators interested in establishing casinos in Japan. In the months ahead the casino bill has a good chance on passing. This would set Japan on pace to have the first casinos erected by the beginning of the Tokyo Olympic games in 2020.

The Japanese diet has been pushing a plan to legalize casino gambling in Japan. Although pachinko is profitable and illegal, a legalized market would definitely make all areas of gambling and mobile betting in Japan more lucrative. Though in support of the plan, some members Shinzo Abe’s democratic coalition party are concerned with how society will be negatively affected by casino gambling. Addiction and possible more forms of crime could emerge as a result of this bill passing.

Although the new legislature in the Japanese Casino bill includes new standards for licensing and regulating casino operators and partners, there is still concern about the involvement of the Yakuza. The current draft of the policy plan states “the hurdles to enter the business should be set high. It should not be easy for anyone to get a license and participate in the industry.”

Why Is Gambling Illegal In Japan Compared