Gambling in Japan
Encyclopedia
Gambling in Japan is generally banned by the Criminal Code
chapter 23, however there are several exceptions, including betting on horse racing
and certain motor sports.
Public sports, lottery
, and toto are held under special laws in order to increase the income of national and local governments, as well as to offer a form of entertainment for many people.
(motorboat racing), and Auto Race
(motorcycle racing). They are allowed by special laws and are regulated by local governments or governmental corporations.
The prize pool for the gamblers of these races are about 75-80% of total sales. Betting tickets are available at countless circuits and ticket booths within many cities, namely Tokyo
, Osaka
, Yokohama
, and Nagoya.
or large cities on a regular basis all throughout the calendar year.
There are three main types of lotteries: unique number lotteries, selected number lotteries, and scratch cards. Each lottery ticket is sold at 100 to 500 yen, and the top cash prizes are usually 100 million yen or more.
The takarakuji law stipulates that the entire prize pool for any given lottery is to be less than 50% of total sales, with the rest going to local government organizations and charities. Takarakuji tickets are available at takarakuji booth and stores in many cities. Tickets for selected number lotteries can be also bought at some ATM
s.
is a pinball
-like slot machine
game. It is officially not considered gambling because Japanese laws regard pachinko as an exception to the criminal code on gambling for historical, monetary, and cultural reasons. Pachinko parlours can be found all over Japan, and they are operated by private companies. As of 2011, there are about 12,480 pachinko parlors in Japan.
In pachinko, when a player's ball makes it into a special hole to activate the slot machine and a jackpot is made, they are rewarded with a lot more. Players can then exchange the balls into prizes of different value at a booth in the parlour. Money cannot be awarded at pachinko parlors as this would be in violation of the criminal code. However, players almost always exchange pachinko balls into special tokens, usually slits of gold encased in plastic, and then "sell" them at a neighboring shop for cash. Usually such shops are alsow owned by the parlor operators, but as long as the winners don't get cash in the parlour, the law is not broken.
are known to operate illegal casinos in Japan. In addition to traditional casino games, Mahjong
can be played for money and many mahjong parlors have ties with the Yakuza to assist collecting debt from players who default.
Another illegal gambling opportunity is offered by mobile gambling sites. At these sites, Japanese gamblers can play rock-scissors-paper and win cash prizes. In 2010, the owner of one of these sites was arrested and confessed of earning over $1 million. The audience of this site was approximately 27,000, including minors. The punters were offered to purchase betting tickets for ¥315. They could get ¥1,000 if they won no less than 3 times in a row. ¥10,000 was the prize for those who won 5 times in a row.
(LDP) government to open casino
s to boost tourism in Japan
. Operating casinos remains illegal in Japan, and recent sports betting
on baseball
by sumo
players has caused a scandal.
On April 4, 2011, Shintaro Ishihara
, the current Tokyo Governor, have spoken against the pachinko parlours, arguing that the popular game together with vending machines eat up about 1000kWh. He said that following the consequences the earthquake of March 11, 2011, the government asked people to reduce energy consumption, but asking wasn't enough and the government order should have been enacted.
At the same time, Ishihara has been pushing the legalization of casinos for quite a while. In 2000, he proposed building casinos in Odaiba, but despite the high public interest, the idea wasn't totally approved. One of the arguments was that the Japanese being unused to gambling would be too prone to addiction. Another possibility for the development of the casino industry in Japan is creation of floating casinos. The idea of boat gambling is also actively supported by Ishihara.
Criminal Code of Japan
The Penal Code of Japan was passed in 1907 as Law No. 45. It is one of the Six Codes that form the foundation of Japanese law.- External links :* - Japanese Ministry of Justice...
chapter 23, however there are several exceptions, including betting on horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and certain motor sports.
Public sports, lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
, and toto are held under special laws in order to increase the income of national and local governments, as well as to offer a form of entertainment for many people.
Public sports
Kōei kyōgi (公営競技, public sports) are public races that people in Japan can gamble on legally. There are four different types of kōei kyōgi: Keiba (horse racing), Keirin (bicycle racing), KyōteiKyotei
The , literally "boat racing" and referred to as BOAT RACE, is a hydroplane racing event primary held in Japan. It is one of Japan's four , which are sports events where parimutuel betting is legal.Kyōtei was introduced in Japan in 1952...
(motorboat racing), and Auto Race
Auto Race
is a Japanese version of motorcycle speedway, but combines gambling added into it and is held on an asphalt course, throughout Japan. It is regulated by the JKA Foundation.A typical Auto Race bike is 599㏄. Autorace is predominantly a gambling sport...
(motorcycle racing). They are allowed by special laws and are regulated by local governments or governmental corporations.
The prize pool for the gamblers of these races are about 75-80% of total sales. Betting tickets are available at countless circuits and ticket booths within many cities, namely Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, and Nagoya.
Lottery
Takarakuji (宝くじ), i.e., lotteries, are held by prefecturesPrefectures of Japan
The prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions: one "metropolis" , Tokyo; one "circuit" , Hokkaidō; two urban prefectures , Osaka and Kyoto; and 43 other prefectures . In Japanese, they are commonly referred to as...
or large cities on a regular basis all throughout the calendar year.
There are three main types of lotteries: unique number lotteries, selected number lotteries, and scratch cards. Each lottery ticket is sold at 100 to 500 yen, and the top cash prizes are usually 100 million yen or more.
The takarakuji law stipulates that the entire prize pool for any given lottery is to be less than 50% of total sales, with the rest going to local government organizations and charities. Takarakuji tickets are available at takarakuji booth and stores in many cities. Tickets for selected number lotteries can be also bought at some ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s.
Pachinko
PachinkoPachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
is a pinball
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
-like slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
game. It is officially not considered gambling because Japanese laws regard pachinko as an exception to the criminal code on gambling for historical, monetary, and cultural reasons. Pachinko parlours can be found all over Japan, and they are operated by private companies. As of 2011, there are about 12,480 pachinko parlors in Japan.
In pachinko, when a player's ball makes it into a special hole to activate the slot machine and a jackpot is made, they are rewarded with a lot more. Players can then exchange the balls into prizes of different value at a booth in the parlour. Money cannot be awarded at pachinko parlors as this would be in violation of the criminal code. However, players almost always exchange pachinko balls into special tokens, usually slits of gold encased in plastic, and then "sell" them at a neighboring shop for cash. Usually such shops are alsow owned by the parlor operators, but as long as the winners don't get cash in the parlour, the law is not broken.
Illegal gambling
YakuzaYakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
are known to operate illegal casinos in Japan. In addition to traditional casino games, Mahjong
Mahjong
Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
can be played for money and many mahjong parlors have ties with the Yakuza to assist collecting debt from players who default.
Another illegal gambling opportunity is offered by mobile gambling sites. At these sites, Japanese gamblers can play rock-scissors-paper and win cash prizes. In 2010, the owner of one of these sites was arrested and confessed of earning over $1 million. The audience of this site was approximately 27,000, including minors. The punters were offered to purchase betting tickets for ¥315. They could get ¥1,000 if they won no less than 3 times in a row. ¥10,000 was the prize for those who won 5 times in a row.
Casinos
There were movements within the Liberal Democratic PartyLiberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
(LDP) government to open casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s to boost tourism in Japan
Tourism in Japan
Tourism in Japan attracted 8.3 million foreign visitors in 2008, slightly more than Singapore and Ireland. Japan has 16 World Heritage Sites, including Himeji Castle and Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto . Kyoto receives over 30 million tourists annually...
. Operating casinos remains illegal in Japan, and recent sports betting
Sports betting
Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.-United States of America:Aside from simple wagers such as betting a friend that one's favorite baseball team will win its division or buying a football "square" for the Super Bowl, sports betting is...
on baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
by sumo
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
players has caused a scandal.
On April 4, 2011, Shintaro Ishihara
Shintaro Ishihara
is a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...
, the current Tokyo Governor, have spoken against the pachinko parlours, arguing that the popular game together with vending machines eat up about 1000kWh. He said that following the consequences the earthquake of March 11, 2011, the government asked people to reduce energy consumption, but asking wasn't enough and the government order should have been enacted.
At the same time, Ishihara has been pushing the legalization of casinos for quite a while. In 2000, he proposed building casinos in Odaiba, but despite the high public interest, the idea wasn't totally approved. One of the arguments was that the Japanese being unused to gambling would be too prone to addiction. Another possibility for the development of the casino industry in Japan is creation of floating casinos. The idea of boat gambling is also actively supported by Ishihara.