Japanese Teens Face Criminal Charges for Gambling Online as Crackdown Builds

Two Japanese teens, including a high school student, could face prosecution on criminal charges after placing bets on online gambling platforms.

The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun and the broadcaster NIB reported that the Nagasaki Prefectural Police have charged the high school pupil, an unemployed man, and a university student with electronic gambling-related offences.

Gambling online on overseas casino sites from Japanese territory is illegal. In recent months, the government has cracked down on dozens of citizens suspected of using their mobile devices to place online bets.

Officers say they gathered evidence on the trio between July and September this year. Police added that none of the trio has previous online gambling-related convictions in the prefecture.

Japanese Teens Gambling Wrap: Prosecutors to Take Indictment Decision

The Prefectural Police’s Public Safety Investigation Division said that the unemployed man was in his 20s. All three individuals are suspected of “using their smartphones to access overseas online casino sites from Japan between 2024 and 2025.”

Police said they had evidence that the trio created accounts on gambling platforms. They then used these accounts to place bets using cash and crypto assets, officers said.

Investigators said the trio placed bets on sports matches and played online slots. All three have admitted to the charges, adding they had lost “several million yen” on the platforms.

During police questioning, all three admitted that they were “aware that what they were doing was illegal.” In some cases, defendants have claimed they were unaware that betting on overseas gambling sites constitutes a criminal offence.

Prefectural police stated that they will step up their scrutiny of payment processing companies. They say some of these “act as intermediaries for betting-related transfers.”

Gambling Crackdown Continues

This year, police across the country have arrested scores of sports stars, comedians and pop musicians on gambling-related charges.

In October, a court in Yamanashi began the trial of a former tax officer who has been accused of embezzling public funds to fund his addiction to horse racing bets, pachinko games, and web-based gambling platforms.

Meanwhile, a recent political dispute between the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and senior Chinese officials could hit Tokyo in the pocket. China has responded to Takaichi’s recent comments on Taiwan by banning Chinese group tourism to Japanese destinations

Stock market analysts think this could benefit South Korean casinos. Experts say the spat could drive up foot traffic in South Korean casinos that only admit foreign passport holders.