October 31 2024

Can Foreign Visitors to Japan Play Japanese Gambling? Rules and How to Play Explained

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Can foreign tourists gamble in Japan?

Will foreign tourists really enjoy gambling when they visit Japan?

First, we will explain public gambling and culture in Japan, and the availability of foreign visitors.

Types of public gambling in Japan and whether foreigners are allowed to participate

Public gambling in Japan includes horse racing, boat racing, bicycle racing, auto racing, and lotteries.

Japanese and other foreigners will be able to participate in and purchase public gambling in Japan.

In particular, horse racing and lotteries are familiar to people in other countries, as they are also forms of gambling.

We recommend horse racing, boat racing, bicycle racing, and auto racing for foreign tourists who want to get rich quick, and lottery tickets for those who want to enjoy mildly and avoid high risk.

Japanese Gambling Culture and Services for Foreigners

One of the most famous aspects of Japan’s gambling culture is pachinko.

While slot machines can be enjoyed at brick-and-mortar casinos overseas, they are not equipped with machines similar to pachinko machines in Japan.

Therefore, pachinko will look fresh to foreign tourists visiting Japan.

Some travel agencies offer pachinko tours as a service for foreigners.

Gambling activities popular among foreign tourists

As mentioned above, pachinko in Japan is popular among foreign tourists.

Pachinko attracts the interest of foreign tourists because it is a uniquely Japanese game.

The most famous gambling spots abroad will be casinos, and casino games can be played using online casinos.

However, since pachinko parlors like those in Japan are almost unheard of overseas, Japanese pachinko parlors, where players can play pachinko casually, are attracting a lot of attention.

Note that pachinko in Japan is not categorized within the framework of gambling, but more precisely as a form of amusement.

Pachinko parlors exchange payouts earned from playing for prizes such as ornaments and candy, and secondhand stores exchange the prizes for cash.

Since pachinko parlors do not offer direct cash redemption, foreign visitors who play pachinko for the first time may be a bit confused.

Casino Bill and Foreign Tourists: When Can We Start Playing in Japan’s Casinos?

So when will we be able to play in Japanese casinos?

In Japan, the Casino Bill (Law for the Development of Specified Complex Tourist Attraction Areas) was passed in 2018 and is moving toward the opening of integrated resorts (IR) that include casinos.

This section details the current status of integrated resorts and casinos in Japan, as well as laws regarding gambling in Japan.

Current Status of Integrated Resorts (IR) and Casinos

In Japan, a casino bill was passed in 2018, and plans to build an integrated resort including a casino in Osaka have been approved by the government.

The integrated resort is expected to open around 2030, and it is estimated that the opening of the resort will bring economic benefits not only to Japan but also to foreign tourists.

At the same time, however, opposition to the construction of integrated resorts has been voiced, with issues such as gambling addiction, deterioration of public safety, and soil contamination problems cited as challenges.

Currently, Osaka City has stated that it will take measures to address soil contamination of the land and gambling addiction in order to resolve the issue.

Casino services and procedures for foreign visitors

When providing casino services to foreign tourists, language support at casino facilities is considered to be the biggest challenge.

Currently, there are pachinko parlors in Japan for entertainment, but the majority of them do not support foreign languages.

Some pachinko and slot machines are available in English, Chinese, Korean, and other languages, but store staff are only available in Japanese.

Overseas casinos have staff at the entrance, information desk, game dealers, and redemption counter, and all procedures are conducted in English and other languages.

Therefore, if casino services are to be offered in Japan, it is imperative that the staff be multilingual.

Gambling Laws in Japan

Next, we will explain the laws regarding gambling in Japan.

All gambling in Japan is conducted in accordance with the law.

Therefore, it is illegal to play gambling in Japan that is not legal in Japan, even if it is legal overseas.

Basic Laws and Regulations on Gambling in Japan

All public gambling in Japan is regulated in detail by law.

For example, horse racing is governed by the Horse Racing Law and boat racing is governed by the Motorboat Competition Law.

Pachinko parlors, which are not recognized as gambling in Japan, are permitted to operate under the “Law Concerning Regulation and Proper Operation of Businesses Affecting Public Morals and Entertainment” (abbreviated as “Entertainment Establishments Law”).

Since the Entertainment Establishments Control Law prohibits the direct provision of cash as a commodity, pachinko parlors use a three-store system in which payouts are exchanged once for prizes, and the prizes are exchanged for cash at an antique dealer near the pachinko parlor.

The three-pachinko parlor system also allows pachinko to operate legally, since the system does not allow pachinko parlors to give cash directly as merchandise.

Legal rules for foreign tourists to be aware of

When gambling in Japan, foreign visitors must choose gambling that does not constitute gambling.

Gambling offenses in Japan include the following

  • betting mahjong
  • dark slot
  • backroom casino
  • bookmaker

Mahjong, black market slots, and backroom casinos are illegal gambling activities that are also illegal for Japanese nationals.

When introducing foreign tourists to gambling in Japan, recommend legally operated public gambling.

Is online gambling available to foreign visitors?

Online gambling, which can be played via the Internet, has become popular in recent years. Are online casino rankings in Japan available to foreign tourists?

This section describes the current status of online gambling in Japan and the online gambling that foreign visitors can play.

Online gambling sites that foreign visitors can access in Japan

In Japan, online gambling, which does not cost money, is not considered gambling and can be played legally.

If you use the services provided by the manufacturers who develop pachinko and slot machines, you can enjoy pachinko and slot games without spending real money.

If you must use an online casino, take advantage of casino games that offer trial versions and bonuses distributed by online casinos.

Summary

When foreign tourists visit Japan, we recommend public gambling if they want to play legally.

Pachinko, a well-known part of Japan’s gambling culture, will also be fresh in the minds of foreign visitors.

Note that in Japan, plans are underway to build an integrated resort in Osaka under the Casino Bill, but currently all but public gambling is illegal.

In particular, since online casinos and bookmaking are common forms of gambling overseas, foreign visitors should be careful not to play them as if they were overseas.

If you want to enjoy online gambling, you can use services provided by pachinko and slot machine developers.

If you really want to use online casinos from within Japan, try playing without spending any money by using trial versions or bonuses.


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