Japan’s House of Representatives has recently passed a new bill aimed at comprehensively banning access to and operation of online casino websites within the country. The move comes amid growing national concerns over the harmful effects of gambling.

The bill received strong backing from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and despite opposition votes from the Constitutional Democratic Party, it ultimately passed through the Lower House. It will now proceed to the House of Councillors for deliberation. If approved, it is expected to come into effect in the coming weeks.

The primary goal of the revised legislation is to curb the spread of gambling addiction. According to a survey conducted in March this year, approximately 3.37 million Japanese residents have engaged in online casino activities, with total expenditures reaching ¥1.24 trillion (around US$8.7 billion). While online gambling is already considered illegal under current law, the lack of effective enforcement has allowed the issue to worsen.

As a supplementary measure, the anti-gambling app BetBlocker has released a Japanese-language version, helping users voluntarily block gambling websites and reduce dependency.

The bill was first introduced in mid-May and was the result of negotiations among eight political parties and parliamentary groups. In addition to cracking down on both the operation and use of online casinos, the legislation also strengthens restrictions on related advertisements and hyperlinks.

The push for this legislation was informed by data and recommendations from the Tokyo Association for Gambling Addiction Care, highlighting Japan’s increasingly serious approach to tackling gambling-related issues.