Photo/Illutration An online casino site hosted on overseas servers promotes itself in Japanese as “Always safe, secure and fun!” (Captured from the site)

An estimated 3.37 million people in Japan have gambled at online casinos, while 1.24 trillion yen ($8.40 billion) in bets are placed at such sites annually, according to the National Police Agency’s first survey on the issue.

The survey results, released on March 13, showed that 75.2 percent of users who accessed free online casino sites on their smartphones later played paid versions where they gambled with real money.

In addition, 59.6 percent of online casino users in the survey acknowledged being addicted to gambling.

Online casino sites operate in countries where gambling is legal. But placing bets on these sites from within Japan constitutes a gambling offense.

“The survey highlights the prevalence of illegal gambling, and the situation is extremely serious,” an NPA official said.

The NPA commissioned a private company to conduct the survey in response to growing concerns about online casinos.

It was carried out between July last year and January this year and covered around 27,000 people in Japan aged from 15 to 79.

The responses of 500 individuals with online casino experience and 6,500 without were analyzed.

The results showed that 3.5 percent of all respondents had either used online casino sites in the past or were still using them.

Based on the national population, this ratio translates to an estimated 3.37 million people with online casino experience.

The average annual betting amount per user was around 630,000 yen, according to the survey.

Based on usage rates across different age groups, the total amount waged per year is roughly 1.24 trillion yen.

The survey also found that 43.5 percent of respondents were unaware that online casinos are illegal in Japan.

Among those with online casino experience, 46.2 percent had borrowed money from consumer finance companies, family members or acquaintances to fund their gambling habits.

The NPA also expressed concerns about celebrity endorsements and promotions that advertise online casinos as “safe” and encourage users to place bets.

The NPA is urging those involved to cease such activities, warning they could be seen as aiding illegal gambling.

(This article was written by Shimpachi Yoshida, a senior staff writer, and Daichi Itakura.)

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