Gambling Laws in Japan: Legality, Regulators and What Chinese Citizens Should Know

Is gambling legal in Japan? In short: as a rule, no. Japan’s Penal Code makes gambling a crime, and the only exceptions are the “public sports” authorised by dedicated statutes (horse racing, bicycle racing, motorboat racing and auto racing) plus lotteries and the sports lottery. The Act on Development of Specified Integrated Resort Districts, passed in 2018 and known as the IR Act, allows casinos inside integrated resorts for the first time. As of October 2026, though, no legal casino has opened anywhere in Japan.

If you are moving from China to Japan to work, study or settle, keep three points in mind. First, betting on an online casino from inside Japan is a crime, even if the site holds a foreign licence. Second, future IR casinos will charge an entry fee and cap visits for “Japanese nationals etc.”, a group that includes foreigners living in Japan, so residents and tourists are treated differently. Third, Chinese criminal law has its own provision on organising PRC citizens to gamble abroad. This page describes regulation only and is not legal advice.

Legal framework: gambling is a crime by default

Under Article 185 of the Penal Code, a person who gambles faces a fine or petty fine of up to JPY 500,000. Betting things “provided for momentary amusement”, such as a meal, is exempt. Under Article 186, habitual gambling can bring up to 3 years’ imprisonment, and running a gambling place or gathering gamblers for profit can bring 3 months to 5 years (since 1 June 2025 the Penal Code uses the single term “detention” (kokin-kei) in place of the former “imprisonment with/without labour”). At the 14 October 2026 central parity rate (JPY 100 ≈ CNY 4.2412), JPY 500,000 is roughly CNY 21,000. Treat this as an approximation.

Each legal exception rests on its own statute and has a supervising ministry. The Horse Racing Act falls under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The Bicycle Racing Act and the Auto Racing Act fall under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The Motorboat Racing Act falls under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). The sports promotion lottery falls under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. “Takarakuji” lotteries are issued under the Lottery Tickets Act (当せん金付証票法).

Pachinko has long been classed as an “amusement” rather than gambling in the legal sense. Even so, the Basic Act on Gambling Addiction Countermeasures of 2018 counts pachinko when it defines gambling addiction.

What is legal: overview table

Casinos and IRs: regulator and licensing

The IR Act (Act No. 80 of 2018, promulgated on 27 July 2018) caps the number of certified IR districts nationwide at three and allows casinos only inside integrated resorts. A new body, the Casino Regulatory Commission (カジノ管理委員会), supervises them. The commission is an external bureau of the Cabinet Office. The Prime Minister appoints its chair and four members with the consent of both houses of the Diet.

So far only the Yumeshima project in Osaka has been approved. The national government certified its development plan on 14 April 2023, and main construction began on 24 April 2025. The operator is now called MGM Osaka Co., Ltd. Osaka Prefecture’s official progress page does not yet give an opening date. For the detailed rules that will apply to future casinos, see our guide to casino regulation in Japan.

Who may play: age, residents and tourists

The IR Act bars four groups from casino entry: people under 20, organised crime members, people who have not paid the entry fee, and people over the visit cap. Casino operators must also turn them away. The entry fee and visit caps apply to “Japanese nationals etc.” According to the House of Representatives bill outline, this includes foreigners resident in Japan, while short-term foreign tourists pay no entry fee. Chinese nationals working or permanently resident in Japan will face the same rules as Japanese citizens.

At the rate above, JPY 6,000 is roughly CNY 254. For public sports, JRA states plainly that betting tickets are only for those aged 20 or over (馬券は20歳になってから).

Online casinos: illegal when played from Japan

The Basic Act on Gambling Addiction Countermeasures was amended in June 2025, and the changes took effect on 25 September 2025. The amended Act bans offering or displaying websites and apps that provide a venue for illegal online gambling, and bans online content that steers people towards them. See our page on the legal status of online casinos in Japan and Osaka Prefecture’s official notice.

A National Police Agency survey ran from July to October 2024, drew 27,145 respondents and was published in March 2025. It estimates that about 3.37 million people in Japan have played online casinos, about 1.97 million still do, and annual wagers total about JPY 1.2423 trillion. Media reports say a record 279 people were caught in online casino cases in 2024, and about half of them were players.

How winnings are taxed

Lottery prizes are tax-free. Article 13 of the Lottery Tickets Act exempts them from income tax, and no tax return is needed. Payouts from horse racing, bicycle racing and other public sports are normally “occasional income” (一時所得). The formula is: (total receipts − costs of earning them − special deduction of up to JPY 500,000) × 1/2, and the result is added to your other taxable income. Courts have treated long-term, continuous and systematic betting, such as automated betting with software, as “miscellaneous income” instead. As of October 2026, check your own case with the tax office.

Advertising rules

The IR Act calls for the necessary restrictions on casino advertising and solicitation, with the details set by cabinet order and commission rules. For online casinos, the 2025 amendment means that advertising an illegal online casino, or posting content that steers people to one on social media, video platforms or websites, is itself unlawful.

A note on Chinese law

Article 303 of the PRC Criminal Law covers the crimes of gambling and of opening a casino. Criminal Law Amendment (XI) took effect on 1 March 2021 and added a third paragraph to Article 303: organising PRC citizens to take part in gambling outside China’s borders, where the amounts are huge or other circumstances are serious, is punished under the preceding paragraph. This is the offence of organising participation in gambling abroad (组织参与国（境）外赌博罪). Under a 2020 opinion of the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security, “organising participation” covers both group trips to foreign casinos and cross-border online gambling. The offence targets people who organise, operate or recruit PRC citizens to gamble abroad. Ask a qualified lawyer how it applies to you, and see our disclaimer.

Responsible gambling and where to get help

Japan has no single national gambling helpline. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends contacting your local public health centre (hokenjo) or your prefecture’s mental health and welfare centre. Both gamblers and their families can consult by phone or in person. You can also find treatment facilities through the National Center for Addiction Services Administration. Motorboat racing and other public sports offer “access restriction” measures that can limit online betting or venue entry.

FAQ

Can I legally visit a casino in Japan?

Not as of October 2026. The law permits IR casinos, but the only approved project, in Osaka, is still under construction, and no legal casino operates in Japan.

Is it legal to play on a foreign-licensed online casino from Japan?

No. Taking part in an online casino from inside Japan is the crime of gambling, and a foreign licence does not change that. About half of those caught in 2024 were players.

Do I pay tax on lottery winnings in Japan?

No. Article 13 of the Lottery Tickets Act exempts lottery prizes from income tax. Horse racing and other public sports payouts are taxed as occasional income.

Do Chinese nationals working in Japan pay the IR casino entry fee?

Yes. According to the bill outline, the entry fee (JPY 6,000 in total per 24 hours) and the visit caps apply to Japanese nationals and to foreigners resident in Japan. Short-term tourists do not pay.

Sources

1. House of Representatives of Japan: Outline of the Specified Integrated Resort Districts Bill (accessed October 2026)
2. Japanese Law Translation (Ministry of Justice): Act on Development of Specified Integrated Resort Districts (Act No. 80 of 2018) (accessed October 2026)
3. Tomakomai City: Outline of the IR Development Bill (PDF) (accessed October 2026)
4. Osaka Prefecture: Progress of the Osaka IR (accessed October 2026)
5. Osaka Prefecture: Online casinos are illegal (accessed October 2026)
6. Kumamoto Prefecture: Warning on online casinos (accessed October 2026)
7. nippon.com: National Police Agency online casino survey (March 2025) (accessed October 2026)
8. Kobe Shimbun: editorial citing NPA 2024 enforcement data (accessed October 2026)
9. MLIT: Motorboat racing (accessed October 2026)
10. Japan Racing Association (JRA): local racing page (“betting tickets from age 20”) (accessed October 2026)
11. Legal 500: Gaming Law – Japan (law firm guide) (accessed October 2026)
12. freee: How occasional income is calculated (updated January 2026) (accessed October 2026)
13. MUFG Bank: Lottery winnings and tax (accessed October 2026)
14. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Addiction countermeasures (accessed October 2026)
15. National Center for Addiction Services Administration: Gambling disorder (accessed October 2026)
16. China News / Legal Daily: Criminal Law Amendment (XI) takes effect 1 March (23 Feb 2021) (accessed October 2026)
17. Supreme People’s Court: Research report on cross-border gambling governance (accessed October 2026)
18. Xinhua: RMB central parity rates (14 October 2026) (accessed October 2026)