Data indicates a rise in family members seeking advice regarding loved ones addicted to online gambling.



Key points:

- Consultation requests for gambling addiction have increased 11-fold in five years, with 91 cases reported in 2024

- 30% of surveyed members reported gambling-addicted family members engaging in criminal activity

- There have been calls for stronger enforcement against online casino payment services off of the back of these findings

Japan is experiencing a significant rise in gambling addiction cases linked to online casinos, with consultation requests increasing 11-fold over the past five years, according to the Society Concerned about Gambling Addiction in Tokyo.

Data from January to November 2024 revealed 91 cases involving family members gambling at online casinos, compared to just eight cases in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. The accessibility of 24-hour gambling via smartphones has been identified as a key factor in this increase.

Another trend has emerged connecting gambling addiction to criminal activity. A survey of 681 association members found that 30% reported family members with gambling addictions having engaged in criminal behaviour – including embezzlement and theft – or pursuing illegal employment through yami baito (illegal part-time jobs).

The association documented one case where a former high school student's gambling addiction, which began with pachinko, led to extorting approximately ¥10m ($64,000) from his mother before an arrest for robbery.

Good to know: While certain forms of gambling are allowed in Japan, online gambling remains illegal, even if the operators/ service providers are legal operations offshore. It is a widespread misconception that gambling sites operating legally outside of Japan are legal for use in Japan

Association head Noriko Tanaka expressed concern over this correlation between gambling addiction and criminal behaviour, stating: "I feel a sense of crisis over the current situation in which many people are addicted to gambling and commit crimes.”

The association warns that advanced stages of gambling addiction can impair judgment and self-control, leading to criminal behaviour and harm to both the addicts and their families.

As such, the association is urging law enforcement to intensify efforts against payment service operators linked to illegal online gambling activities.

In related news, Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) launched its first investigation into illegal offshore gambling websites in August of last year.

真是难得给力的帖子啊。