The National Police Agency (NPA) said on Thursday that they plan to ask international casino operators and services connected to online casinos to remove their sites for Japanese users. Authorities expect this action to start in late September, matching the start of updates to the basic law against gambling addiction, a legal change made last month to increase control.

Recent survey data shows that about 3.37 million people in Japan have accessed online casinos, with over 70% reportedly placing bets using real money. Annual bet amounts are calculated to be near ¥1.2 trillion, based on these figures. Many of these casino sites are legal in other countries, so the question is if such removal requests can really be enforced.

Japan Tightens Online Casino Ban with Stricter Enforcement and Content Removal

Under the new version of the law, running or opening casino websites for the Japanese market is banned, and the law clearly says that advertising and promoting these sites is also not allowed. The NPA says it will contact site operators and providers, even those overseas, to get these sites removed, and they are thinking about changing the rules for the Internet Hotline Centre (IHC). The IHC, a group working for the police, deals with illegal or harmful web content.

Up to now, the IHC has mainly asked web admins to delete content like child pornography and information about illegal drug sales, but they have not called for the removal of casino pages or online ads and videos leading people to such pages. Besides casino site addresses already listed by the NPA, the IHC will collect more data with cyber patrol methods and ask for more site removals based on new findings.

Japan to Enforce Stricter Crackdown on Online Casino Ads and Content

The new guideline draft also lists risky language in advertising, such as “Japanese language support” or “recommended ranking.” Even casino sites with only a “free version” or a warning that the site is illegal may be seen as promoting illegal betting. The rule will also target online videos showing casino play if the video includes links to the casino website.

Beginning September 25, after finishing public comment steps, the NPA will start to send takedown requests for Japanese and foreign operators and for related advertisements. A senior police leader said, “We will let everyone in Japan and overseas know that running casino sites and ads will be illegal here under the new law.” The official added that authorities will keep sending site removal requests many times if needed.