Japan Enforces Total Ban on Promotions for Overseas Online Casinos

The new enforcement effort will officially begin on 25 September 2025, coinciding with the implementation of amendments to the country's Basic Law on Gambling Addiction Measures, reports Gambling Insider. These legal changes, passed by the National Diet in June, explicitly prohibit not only the operation and facilitation of unlicensed gambling services for the Japanese market but also their promotion and advertising — regardless of where the operator is based.

Until now, offshore online casinos have existed in a legal gray zone. While unlicensed in Japan, enforcement against these sites has been limited, allowing operators to build significant audiences using Japanese-language websites, social media, and influencer marketing. That is now changing. The revised legislation provides regulators with a clear legal framework to pursue enforcement against any gambling content aimed at Japanese users.

It typically includes direct advertisements, site reviews, influencer content, affiliate links, “free play” promotions, and media posts encouraging use — especially when appearing on Japanese-language websites, targeting Japanese IP addresses, or framed as informational gambling guides.

Under the new policy, the NPA will begin formally requesting that internet service providers, domain hosts, and platform operators — both domestic and international — block access to identified sites and remove related advertisements. The campaign will also extend to affiliate marketers and content creators promoting gambling, with authorities warning that even indirect or non-clickable promotions may fall under scrutiny if the content appears to encourage participation in illegal gambling.

The NPA will carry out this effort in coordination with the Internet Hotline Center (IHC), a government-linked watchdog previously focused on harmful online material related to child exploitation and drug trafficking. The IHC’s mandate is being expanded to monitor gambling-related content, including videos, banner ads, sponsored posts, and influencer content. Platforms using terms like “Japanese support available” or “popular in Japan” may be flagged as violative, especially if the messaging implies accessibility or endorsement within Japan.

Authorities are also working on updated enforcement guidelines to help identify problematic language and promotional tactics. These will target efforts to bypass regulations, such as the use of disclaimers like “free play only” or offering access to demo versions of casino games. Even these types of content may be penalized if authorities determine they are part of a broader strategy to attract users to offshore gambling platforms.

The scale of the issue is significant. According to NPA estimates, around 3.37 million people in Japan have visited online casino sites in recent years. With the lack of a domestic licensing regime for online casinos, Japanese users have often relied on platforms based in jurisdictions such as Curacao, the Philippines, or Malta.