The gambling landscape in Japan is undergoing some substantial changes at the moment, with a massive liberalization scheme pushing forward despite pandemic-related delays. Over the next few years three large integrated casino resorts will be created in various cities around the country, with major casino operators such as MGM in talks to run them. In the meantime, however, casino gambling in Japan remains limited.
In parallel with the land-based casino liberalization, there has been a growing interest in online casino gambling. The legal situation is somewhat complicated, so players in Japan are recommended to visit only reputable sources like 日本のオンラインカジノ.com (Japanese online casino.com) when seeking advice about a new online casino. Let’s break down how online casino gambling works in Japan and look at some tips about how to stay safe.
Online casinos in Japan – are they legal?
Laws regulating the use of online casinos vary a lot around the world, and they are constantly updated to reflect the changing nature of the industry. In Europe, most countries seem to be moving towards independent regulation[https://www.mondaq.com/germany/gaming/1078320/new-gambling-licenses-will-become-available-in-germany-starting-july-2021] and the creation of individual licensing bodies. Other parts of the world, including Japan, have taken a very different approach.
In Japan there are no domestic online casino operators, and if you look at the letter of the law then online gambling is prohibited. In reality, the situation is rather different. Many Japanese citizens use new online casino sites that are based overseas but extend their services to the Japanese market. While this is still not technically allowed, the Japanese authorities currently make no attempt to curb the use of these sites and do not punish anyone for doing so.
While this is all subject to change, it leaves players in Japan with a good choice of new online casino sites all vying for their custom. As they are not controlled by the Japanese authorities, players must take their own precautions to protect themselves from rogue operators. This means ensuring that the site has a full licence from a recognized online gambling oversight body that issues international licenses, such as the Malta Gaming Authority.
Bonuses and games at new online casino sites in Japan
Gambling has always been very popular in Japan, despite the tight restrictions. It is seen as a promising market for international online casino operators, who are all competing to attract Japanese players by offering generous bonuses to those who open a new account. Many will double a first deposit with casino credit, sometimes even more.
Japanese casino users will also find an impressive range of games to play at these sites. As in the rest of the world, slot games are the most-played type of game in the casino library. Slot games seem like a natural fit for Japan, where brightly-colored pachinko machines and arcade games are all the rage. Other, more traditional casino games like poker and blackjack are also highly rated, and since there are so few other legal ways to access these games these online casinos have a lot of customers.
As Japan moves towards more liberal gambling laws, will there come a time when the citizens of the country no longer use international online casino sites? It is possible, but at this time there doesn’t appear to be any new legislation in the pipeline. The proposed casino resorts are going ahead, but it will be several years until any of them are ready to use. In the meantime, Japanese people can continue to use new online casino sites based in other countries.
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