Boy band member referred to prosecutors over illegal gambling
Tokyo police on Monday sent papers on a member of boy band JO1 to prosecutors on allegations of engaging in illegal gambling on an online casino site.
Shion Tsurubo, 24, has admitted the allegation. He said he was not fully aware of the illegality of online gambling, according to investigative sources.
"I became obsessed with online gambling for a while because it's so easy to access with a smartphone," he was quoted as saying.
Shion Tsurubo, a member of boy band JO1, allegedly engaged in illegal gambling on an online casino website. |
Jiji
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Tsurubo had deposited a total of about ¥15 million ($104,000) to an online casino site since December 2023.
Tsurubo said that he stopped accessing the site around August last year after learning from the news that gambling on online casino sites constituted a crime. He is believed to have incurred a net loss of about ¥7.1 million.
He is suspected of using his smartphone to access the foreign online casino site named K8 from Japan between May 31 and June 27 last year and playing roulette several times.
The MPD attached an opinion in favor of "strict punishment" in its papers to prosecutors, asking for an indictment.
It discovered Tsurubo's involvement in online gambling through an investigation into the proceeds of crime from another case. It interviewed the boy band member earlier this year on a voluntary basis.
Tsurubo's talent agency, Lapone Entertainment, announced on May 31 that he had used an online casino in the past. He was suspended from activities for 10 days.
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Boy band member referred to prosecutors over illegal gambling
Tokyo police on Monday sent papers on a member of boy band JO1 to prosecutors on allegations of engaging in illegal gambling on an online casino site. Shion Tsurubo, 24, has admitted the allegation. He said he was not fully aware of the illegality of online gambling, according to investigative sources. "I became obsessed with online gambling for a while because it's so easy to access with a smartphone," he was quoted as saying. Shion Tsurubo, a member of boy band JO1, allegedly engaged in illegal gambling on an online casino website. | Jiji According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Tsurubo had deposited a total of about ¥15 million ($104,000) to an online casino site since December 2023. Tsurubo said that he stopped accessing the site around August last year after learning from the news that gambling on online casino sites constituted a crime. He is believed to have incurred a net loss of about ¥7.1 million. He is suspected of using his smartphone to access the foreign online casino site named K8 from Japan between May 31 and June 27 last year and playing roulette several times. The MPD attached an opinion in favor of "strict punishment" in its papers to prosecutors, asking for an indictment. It discovered Tsurubo's involvement in online gambling through an investigation into the proceeds of crime from another case. It interviewed the boy band member earlier this year on a voluntary basis. Tsurubo's talent agency, Lapone Entertainment, announced on May 31 that he had used an online casino in the past. He was suspended from activities for 10 days.
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Pop Group Member Referred to Prosecutors Over Gambling
News from Japan Society Culture Jun 16, 2025 17:15 (JST) Tokyo, June 16 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department on Monday sent papers on a member of popular boy group JO1 to prosecutors for alleged illegal gambling on an online casino site. Shion Tsurubo, 24, has admitted the allegation. He said he was not fully aware of the illegality of online gambling, according to investigative sources. "I became obsessed with online gambling for a while because it's so easy to access with a smartphone," he was quoted as saying. According to the MPD, Tsurubo had deposited a total of about 15 million yen with an online casino site since December 2023. Tsurubo said that he stopped accessing the site after seeing on the news around August last year that gambling on online casino sites was illegal. He is believed to have incurred a net loss of about 7.1 million yen. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
