Japan lower house OKs bill to crack down on illegal online gambling
Japan's House of Representatives passed Tuesday a bill to tighten regulations on illegal online gambling by prohibiting websites from guiding users to casino sites.
The revision to a law to tackle gambling addiction came amid recent revelations of the use of virtual casinos by a number of athletes and celebrities. According to a recent police survey, over 3 million people in the country are estimated to have gambled online.
Online casinos that can be easily accessed via smartphones are legally operated in some countries but are not authorized in Japan.
The revised law is expected to be enacted during the current parliamentary session through June 22.
The bill bans the opening of online casino websites as well as transmitting information aimed at attracting users to such sites. It also urges social media website operators to delete illegal information on their platforms.
According to the National Police Agency survey released in March, 3.37 million people in Japan are estimated to have gambled at online casinos, with around 1.24 trillion yen being spent annually.
Accessing those sites and placing bets from Japan can result in fines of up to 500,000 yen. Habitual gamblers may face up to three years in prison under the country's Penal Code.
In Japan, lotteries and betting on publicly operated races, such as on horse, bicycle, boat and motorcycle racing, are legal.
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