Man arrested in Japan's largest individual online gambling case
Police seized a notebook from the suspect that detailed his 'winning strategies' for online casinos. (Natsuno Otahara)
Police have arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of online gambling in what is believed to be the largest individual case of its kind in Japan, involving bets worth tens of billions of yen.
Makoto Chomabayashi is accused of wagering 90 million yen ($625,500), mainly on baccarat, on the global casino site Stake between August 2022 and April this year, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
The suspect, from Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, admitted to the allegations, saying he was aware that online gambling is illegal in Japan but believed he wouldn't get caught.
'News reports said there were hundreds of thousands of players in Japan, so I thought I was only the tip of the iceberg,' he said.
However, investigators suspect he is much more than that and believe he placed bets totaling 28 billion yen, the largest amount ever attributed to one individual in an illegal gambling case in Japan.
Despite the massive amount wagered, Chomabayashi likely ended up losing 40 million yen.
He is also suspected of acting as an affiliate marketer for the casino site.
To attract new users, he posted images of gambling wins on X under the alias 'Meikyo Shisui'—a term from Chinese philosophy meaning a 'clear and serene mind.'
Investigators believe he referred over 100 players to the platform and earned 7 million yen in commissions since April 2023.
The suspect said he was motivated by a desire for recognition, noting that praise for his big scores boosted his self-worth.
According to a recent National Police Agency survey, an estimated 3.37 million people in Japan have gambled through online casinos, with total bets reaching 1.24 trillion yen annually.
Alarmingly, 40 percent of users were unaware their activities were illegal under Japanese law.
In response, the government has revised its policies on illegal gambling, introducing stricter regulations targeting affiliate marketers and third-party payment processors.
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