Japan’s offshore gambling leads to high levels of debt

• Japan estimates about 3.37m people gamble online at offshore casinos
• One in three people who do so for the first time end up indebted within a week of starting to play
• Japan can do more to support people who experience problem gambling and crack down on social media advertising

Japan has not yet regulated its online casino sector, although the country is on track to introduce its first integrated resort due to arrive in 2030. The project, developed by MGM Resorts in collaboration with local companies in Osaka is expected to be one of the world’s most promising and lucrative casino developments.

Japanese players end up in debt when they play at offshore casinos

Yet, Japan has faced some problems in the meantime, with the country’s online casino players hitting at least 3.37m according to a recent National Police Agency data revealed recently.

This issue has to do not so much with the number of people who engage in the offshore gambling market, but rather with the fact that many of those who do quickly end up owing money to loan sharks, friends, and family.

This is based on data provided by the Society Concerned about the Gambling Addiction operating out of Tokyo, and which recently revealed more data examining the answers of members of the society.

Collating data from its members, the society queried participants whether they played online casinos. Those who did were then asked if they had incurred debt and how long it took between starting to play and asking for extra money.

According to the survey’s findings, one in three people who gamble offshore will end up in debt, and the majority of those people, as Casino Guru News understands, would become indebted within a week after starting to play.

30.1% of respondents who gambled with online casinos said that they needed more money within a week, with another 33.3% saying that they needed the extra money within a month. People who borrowed money within half a year were set at 11.8% while 9.7% of people borrowed money within three months.

Government can do more to limit the reach of illegal advertising and increase support

Noriko Tanaka, representative director of the society, has raised concerns over the lack of awareness that offshore gambling sites are actually not regulated and argued that Japan could be also doing a better job of informing players about the dangers of gambling as well and offering more support to people who have already developed a problem.

According to the society’s survey, the bulk of players started gambling because they saw advertisements on social media, which could mean that the government could do more to limit such advertisements.

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