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Gambling in Japan, explained

What the law actually says, what happens to the money, and how the games are built — written for readers who want the mechanics, not the marketing.

Photo: Alexkom000 — CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Japan treats gambling more strictly than almost any other large economy, and it does so from an unusual direction: the criminal liability for a bet falls on the person who places it.

That single fact shapes everything else here. Four forms of public betting are legal and sold through official channels; the first casino resort is still years from opening and will charge residents to walk in; and the offshore market that a browser can reach sits outside both. These pages keep those three worlds apart, state the rule that applies in each, and then explain the money and the mathematics that work the same way wherever the reader happens to be.

Keirin riders on a velodromeJapan rulesWhat is legal, taxed or plannedBank cash machinePaymentsYen, cards and crypto routesDice on a casino tableShortlistOperators with a yen figurePachinko balls in a trayGuidesOne question each, answeredLottery ticketsAll articlesThe archive by section

The list: 8 operators, figures as published↓

Casino sites that publish a yen welcome figure

Figures below are the welcome offers published for Japan by the operators themselves or by Japanese review portals; nothing here is converted or estimated. No online casino holds a Japanese licence, and betting from inside Japan is an offence under the Penal Code — this is a description of the market, not a recommendation to play.

  1. 1
    DragonSlotsCuraçao licence · no Japanese licenceLive dealer tables
    Welcome package up to ¥365,000 (up to 225%)Online since 2024
    Go to siteWhat we know
  2. 2
    20betCuraçao licence · no Japanese licenceSports betting tooCrypto acceptedLive dealer tables
    100% up to ¥15,000 + 120 free spinsWagering 40x · Min deposit ¥1,500 · Online since 2020
    Go to siteWhat we know
  3. 3
    National CasinoCuraçao licence · no Japanese licenceCrypto acceptedLive dealer tables
    100% up to ¥12,000 + 100 free spinsWagering 40x · Min deposit ¥2,500 · Online since 2020
    Go to siteWhat we know
  4. 4
    22betCuraçao licence · no Japanese licenceSports betting tooCrypto acceptedLive dealer tables
    100% up to ¥49,500 + 30 free spinsWagering 50x · Min deposit ¥1,650 · Online since 2017
    Go to siteWhat we know
  5. 5
    MegapariOffshore licence · no Japanese licenceSports betting too
    Up to ¥17,500 on the first depositWagering 35x · Online since 2019
    Go to siteWhat we know
  6. 6
    WazambaCuraçao licence · no Japanese licenceCrypto accepted
    100% up to ¥65,000 + 200 free spinsWagering 35x · Min deposit ¥2,600 · Online since 2019
    Go to siteWhat we know
  7. 7
    ParipesaOffshore licence · no Japanese licenceSports betting tooYen balances
    100% up to ¥15,000 on the first depositOnline since 2019
    Go to siteWhat we know
  8. 8
    1winCuraçao licence · no Japanese licenceSports betting tooCrypto acceptedLive dealer tables
    100% up to ¥75,000 + 70 free spinsWagering 30x · Min deposit ¥2,000 · Online since 2016
    Go to siteWhat we know

Figures are the welcome offers the operators or Japanese review portals have published; we do not convert or estimate amounts. Links marked “Go to site” are commercial. Online casino play from within Japan is an offence under the Penal Code, and this list is a description of the market, not an invitation to play.

Start with the rules

The four questions readers arrive with, and the one before them.

The liability for a bet falls on the player, which is why the law on online casinos comes first and the tax treatment of a win second.

Ministry of Justice building in TokyoStart hereOnline casinos and Japanese lawPenal Code arts. 185–186 · ad ban since 25 Sep 2025Betting from inside Japan is an offence for the player. What remains legal, and what the 2025 revision changed.

Money

How a balance moves, and what each route costs.

A balance changes currency, rail and owner on the way out. The guide to slow withdrawals explains where the days go.

Converted twiceYen accounts and conversionThe cost is a margin in the rate, not a visible fee.Merchant codeCards versus bank transfersWhy a gambling decline repeats however often the card is retried.Final once sentCrypto versus cash balancesNetwork fees and a price that moves on its own.Three stagesWhy withdrawals take daysPending period, approval, payment rail — and the terms behind each.No recallBitcoin Cash at casinosConfirmations, not support, decide the wait.Network feesEthereum at casinosFees set by network demand; some sites convert on arrival.
Method

The shortlist, and what stands behind it

Eleven operators run a Japanese language site. Eight of them publish a welcome figure in yen that can be checked against a second source, and those eight are the list. The ordering model and the commercial arrangement behind the links are written down rather than implied.

How we rate
Japanese yen banknotes

Lists by what they check

Same rule for every list: a figure is shown only where the operator published it.

Each list orders the same operators by one property. The list of licensed operators is the one to read first.

ListWhat it keepsSize
Safe CasinosOperators with a named licence authority in this list8 operators
New CasinosOperators that opened most recently in this list8 operators
Mobile CasinosOperators whose Japanese site works as a mobile page8 operators
Live CasinosSites with live dealer tables for players in Japan5 operators
Online BettingOperators that run a sportsbook next to the casino5 operators
Gambling ExplainedOperators that list a welcome figure for Japanese players8 operators

Games and odds

What the mathematics of a game actually promises.

The house edge lives in the rules of each game; blackjack strategy is the rare place where a player moves it.

Row of slot machinesCasino basicsWhat happens between a deposit and an outcome.Blackjack table with cards dealtBlackjackThe one game where decisions move the house edge.Poker chips and cards on a tablePokerMoney comes from other players; the room takes a cut.Bingo card with numbers markedBingoThe prize depends on cards in play, not a pay table.Cards laid out for a gameCard gamesFixed drawing rules; the only choice is the bet.Baccarat tables in a casino hallBaccarat against blackjackWhere the player decides and where the rules do.Roulette wheel and tableReturn to player explainedMeasured over millions of rounds, not one session.Casino chips on a live tableLive tables in JapaneseA translated site, a dealer who speaks English.Arcade machines in a hallDemo play and limitsSame mathematics with play money.

Before a first deposit

In the order they usually matter.

Play safe

Five checks that cost nothing and decide most disputes later. Free help in Japan is listed on the responsible gambling page.

  1. Hands on a laptop keyboard1Read the terms firstMaximum cashout, dormant accounts, the jurisdiction clause.
  2. Desk calculator2Work out the wageringOne multiplier can mean twice the play.
  3. Japanese passport3Have documents readyFour document families, asked at the first withdrawal.
  4. Person using a phone4Keep one accountDuplicates are detected, and the bonus is voided.
  5. Telephone help desk5Set limits that holdA tightening is instant; a loosening waits.

From the archive

Longer reads from the sections, newest first.

How to Win in Crypto Gambling with the Right TipsBlackjackHow to Win in Crypto Gambling with the Right TipsCryptocurrencies have had a lot of attention and have been widely accepted as the future of money.