Japan’s Online Gamblers Wagering Over ¥1 Trillion a Year

A study conducted by Japan’s National Police Agency on the use of online casinos found that 3.45% of the general population had used an online casino operated outside Japan at least once, while 2.02% are current users. These percentages suggest that there are around 3.4 million people who have gambled using such sites, while 2.0 million continue to use them. The average amount wagered annually is ¥630,000 per person, for a total of ¥1.24 trillion.

The study was based on a survey carried out from July to October 2024, with responses from 27,145 people across Japan, aged 15 to 79.

Created by Nippon.com based on data from the National Police Agency.

In the sample of 500 people who have gambled at an online casino, men far outnumbered women with 338 (67.6%) compared to 162 (32.4%). The age distribution shows that nearly 60% of the users were in their twenties (30.0%) and thirties (28.8%).

The most common amount of money wagered daily is from ¥5,000 to ¥10,000 (17.6%), followed by from ¥10,000 to ¥30,000 (16.8%).

By age group, the most common amount wagered daily was from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 for teenagers (27.8%), ¥5,000 to ¥10,000 for people in their forties (21.4%), and ¥10,000 to ¥30,000 for people in their fifties (23.1%). The most common amount wagered among those in their sixties was less than ¥500 (25.0%), which is considerably lower than the most common amount in other age groups.

Among those surveyed, the most common answer regarding their highest single-day winnings from gambling was from ¥10,000 to ¥30,000, at 16.6%, followed by from ¥5,000 to ¥10,000, at 15.6%.

As for the highest single-day losses, the most common answer was from ¥10,000 to ¥30,000, at 15.8%, followed by from ¥3,000 to ¥5,000, at 15.0%.

The percentage of people who have taken out loans from consumer finance companies or borrowed money from family, friends, or acquaintances due to gambling at online casinos is 46.2% overall. Borrowing is particularly common among the teenagers surveyed, at 61.1%.

Among those surveyed, 56.5% were aware that use of online casinos is illegal in Japan. Meanwhile 39.8% of those who had used online casinos were unaware of this, revealing that a significant number of people are gambling without being aware of the legal implications.

The National Police Agency found that among the 40 online casinos operating overseas that are accessible from Japan, 20 relied on Japan for over 90% of their traffic, with the most notable examples being Vera & John Casino at 96.18% and Yuugado at 99.66%. Many of these sites offer free versions to attract users, who are then encouraged to switch to paid versions. The sites also utilize various online advertising strategies to prompt user registration and attract new users.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner image © Pixta.)