It’s no news that the online casino industry has been one of the biggest industries in the last two decades, with billions of dollars annually. From Vegas to Singapore, to Malta, to the United Kingdom and Macau, the online casino is now part of the everyday lifestyle of some people. At the outset of the industry, its current wave wasn’t really envisioned to take place so quickly. However, it will be safe to say that the industry has taken all of us by storm.

One of such revelations that have swept industry enthusiasts and patrons off their feet is the online casino market of Japan. This market is expanding and becoming as big as the rest of the world’s casino industry. There are so excellent online casino facilities in Japan. Manekinecasino was one of the first foreign-owned casinos to indicate interest in the Japanese casino market. We have you covered with all the relevant details relating to the Japanese online casino market and where to begin yourself.

The legality of Online Casinos in Japan 
At the moment, online casinos are on strict restrictions and are generally prohibited at best. The restriction also relates to physical casino outlets operating in Japan, as they are considered illegal. However, lotteries are legal alongside betting on motorcycle racing, horse racing, powerboat racing, bicycle racing, betting on J-League Soccer Toto games. Another widely popular and accepted casino-like outlet in Japan is the Pachinko Parlor that has well over 20,000 outlets across Japan.

Pachinko is an arcade game that requires skill and is very well accepted amongst players of the 15 to 35 age bracket. Pachinko in itself is not up gambling, but it has been manipulated into a gambling game, while the authorities do almost nothing to prosecute gamblers. Pachinko has annual revenue running into billions of dollars generated from players, not taxes.

Just like the government is aware of Pachinko gambling, it is also mindful of online casino gambling by Japanese at foreign casino sites. Even though it’s generally illegal to operate online casinos in the country, a vast chunk of the Japanese population plays online casinos at several offshore sites. Even with the knowledge of this, the authorities don’t block access to these sites form Japan. This has resulted in varied opinions as to the position of the authorities regarding online casinos in recent times.

The Current Position of the Law
Having carried out several reviews of the existent laws on gambling, particularly online casinos, the Japanese government is finally giving the nod to online casinos. Accordingly, the Japanese lawmakers recently passed the Casino Bill that seeks to legalize and legitimize land-based casinos and online casinos in Japan. In April 2020, the parliament commenced a legislative process for enacting the Casino Implementation Bill, which will give full powers to relevant authorities to regulate the industry.

Among other things, the Implementation Bill will stipulate control measures for casino operators, licensing guidelines and eligibility, taxation, promote responsible gambling practices, et al. It is estimated that the industry will take off with full throttle in 2023, with over 20 billion dollars to be realized by 2030. Therefore, all reasonable indications point to the government’s approval regarding online and land-based casinos in Japan.

How Big is the Japanese Online Casino Market?
Against the backdrop of government casino enactments, some casino and gambling analysts carried out several surveys on the Japanese market. The results of their studies all indicate that the online casino market in Japan is one of the best in the world. For instance, in a 2019 report by Sanford Bernstein, it was reported that the Japanese casino market would be the third-largest in the world, with revenues of 8 billion dollars per annum. This means that Japan will follow behind Macau and the United States, who already occupy first and second places, respectively.

In the same vein, a report by Global Market Advisors suggests that by 2030, the Japanese online casino market will rake in a staggering 24.2 billion dollars per annum. This indicates how far the Japanese market can offer to the online casino and iGaming world upon commencement of casino licensing.

What the Online Casino Market Entails for All Parties Involved
With no more than 6 locations under consideration for land-based casinos to operate in Japan, online casinos will be more in number, for obvious reasons. With the casino gold mine to be realized in Japan, the relevant authorities are bound to generate revenues through taxes on winnings. Licensing of casinos, as well as tourist growth, will all be driven by the market. In light of the boom, some parts of East Asia might also consider easing up their gambling laws to accommodate online casinos.

On their part, Casinos will make substantial fortunes operating in the Japanese market, given how much ripe the market is. Asides outright profits, they can also understudy other markets for expansion purposes.

With respect to players, they stand a chance of making as much money as their luck and expertise can bring them. So, the Japanese market is indeed a golden opportunity for all parties involved to realize some profits.