Best Online Casinos - Japan

In Japan, the online gambling market is under heavy and conservative regulation. According to the articles 185 and 186 of the country’s Penal Code, which are not only the online but also the land-based gambling laws, all forms of wagering on games of chance are prohibited. There are punishments and fines for the act of gambling itself, as well as for habitual gambling. For the first case, the punishment is 500,000 yen, while habitual gamblers will be bound to imprisonment with work.

This is quite a rough and straightforward restriction. With one substantial “and yet”...

...which is – under the Japanese laws, there is no legal definition of online gambling, and there is no statute that regulates Japan-targeted online gambling. This means that while the private sector may be at risk if trying to run an online gambling website in Japan, there is no penalty for an individual taking to an offshore gambling site and betting on the games of chance. The local ISPs will not block access to such lobbies. The banks will approve deposits and withdrawals.

This opens a diverse scene for Japanese players. Our database alone includes more than 600 online gambling destinations friendly to visitors from Japan. By being friendly we mean that residents of the country will be able to choose among an assortment of languages, currencies, payment methods, and games.

For instance, over at CasinoAction, which is a Microgaming-powered platform with more than twenty years of experience, registered clients will be able to enjoy withdrawals with some of the lowest risks of non-payment in the industry. The platform was highly rated by both the portals and the registered members. It is certified by the Malta Gaming Authority and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission – both licenses are what players should look for when choosing an online operator to use from Japan, as they are two of the most reliable.

Alternatively, there is Blackjack Ballroom, another gambling website highly popular in Japan. It is also powered by Microgaming, but it is regulated by the jurisdiction of Kahnawake. Also, players seem to be very fond of Superior. It is tailored for offshore traffic, and its lobby serves games from Rival and BetSoft. The site has a live lobby from Vivo Gaming, a team of which has recently starred in our interviews section. For this place to bet and win, certification comes from the jurisdiction of Curacao, another popular authority.

What is more, many websites offer services in Japanese national currency or language.

The players will be able to select a popular and convenient banking method or pick among some of the most popular games and software. More than fifty labels in our collection match these criteria.

Players from this country will have a choice of wagering either in USD or in Euros, or alternatively – in any of the numerous digital currencies. Of course, there is also a chance to place wagers in Japanese yen, but this currency is not as popular in the online gambling industry, being spotted in only 4% of the cashiers, which amounts to slightly more than thirty places to bet and win in our database. 

Among others, we can recommend taking a closer look at 32Red, William Hill Online, or Royal Panda. All of these are well-established and experienced labels with high ratings online.

As to the banking methods, e-wallets are among some of the most popular. In addition to Neteller and Skrill, there is Bitcoin and other crypto wallets, as well as such payment services as PayPal and Venus point. All of these can be used for both depositing and withdrawals.

In terms of popularity, Neteller and Skrill lead the market, being featured in 500+ websites in our collection. EcoPayz wraps up the top-3 with its presence in over 300+ locations. For fans of Bitcoin-gambling in japan, there are more than 150 cashiers friendly to this method. Normally, e-wallets would process withdrawal requests within a day.

If we are talking about the most popular Japanese online gambling games, we’re talking pachinko. On a regular basis, over 15 million of Japanese players visit more than 16 thousand pachinko venues. Based on statements from some regulars, they manage to make up to 100,000 USD per month playing pachinko.

Online, the current boom is the so-called pachislots. In the world of online gambling, the most popular developer of such releases is Japan Technicals Games, and we have more pachislots from diverse content manufacturers in our collection of arcades.

The second most popular type of gambling content is the table games, of which blackjack and roulette lead the way. To mention a few out of many successful releases, there is Japanese Roulette by Evolution Gaming. It is a live-dealer release with its dealers speaking Japanese.

Slots are also the undeniable leaders of the Japan-targeted online lobbies. There is no specific theme that the players from the reviewed country would favor. The Asian theme is a definite leader. Among other hits, there are also slots with cartoonish, folklore, and historic design, or topics. Some of the most successful creators of games based on these criteria are Ganapati and Konami studios.

Among international suppliers, the following content creators hold leadership among Japanese players: Playtech, Net Entertainment, Odobo, Opus Gaming, Oryx, Yggdrasil Gaming, BetSoft, BBIN, X18bet, and Evolution Gaming.