In June 2025, Tokyo formally asked Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, Malta, Anjouan (part of the Comoros Islands), Curacao, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, all well-known hubs for online betting and casino licensing, to restrict Japanese players.
Officials argue that without cooperation from these offshore jurisdictions, domestic efforts to curb illegal gambling are ineffective.
Japan already bans cross-border online gambling, yet large numbers of citizens still access offshore sites. A 2024 report estimated that Japanese offshore sports betting alone reached 6.45 trillion yen (US$45 billion), equivalent to about 1.5 trillion baht, highlighting not only the scale of the shadow market but also the shortcomings of domestic law enforcement in a borderless digital space.
AloJapan.com