Asahi, real name Asahi Saito, is a solo comedian, while Butter Young is a well-known comedy duo.

Police investigators said the two men likely used their smartphones to visit and gamble on overseas online casino sites.

Asahi and Butter Young Comedian’s Cases Sent to Prosecutors

Japan strictly forbids all forms of online gambling that originate from its territory.

The charges follow Titan’s internal investigation into the issue of online casinos among its staff and talent roster.

The probe found that four of the agency’s comedians had used online casinos. The agency followed up by contacting the Tokyo police to conduct what media outlets labelled “a voluntary investigation.”

The two men admitted to the charges during questioning sessions, police spokespeople confirmed.

Some Japanese news outlets, such as ZakZak, have suggested that police and media reports about comedians’ gambling confessions are doubly punitive.

The reason is that many Japanese comedians use stage names, rather than their names, to preserve their privacy.

But many media reports about the stars include both the celebrities’ real names and their aliases, as well as their ages.

However, a media reporter told ZakZak that police may think this could serve as a deterrent to comedians thinking about betting online. The unnamed reporter said: “To further spread the illegality of online casinos, it is more effective to report the names of famous people than to arrest non-celebrities.”

Japanese police and prosecutors embarked on a sweeping crackdown on online gambling in 2023. That crackdown has intensified this year.

Pleading Ignorance

Scores of A-list celebrities and professional sports stars have admitted to using overseas gambling websites, although some have claimed they did not know the activity was illegal.

This has coincided with renewed pressure from lawmakers to introduce harsher punishments for habitual gamblers who use online gambling platforms.

In many cases, instances of gambling have been unearthed not by police but by pro teams conducting internal audits of their staff and players.

Police, via the Foreign Ministry, have also sent requests to the governments of several nations and territories they suspect of housing platforms that cater to Japanese bettors.

However, media outlets in Japan report that gambling crackdowns have cast a “dark shadow” over domestic pro sports.

Friday Digital reported that, to date, 16 players from eight teams have admitted to using online casinos.

The same also appears to be the case with entertainment agencies, television stations, and more. These firms seem to believe that if sports stars, pop singers, and actors make public confessions about their gambling misdemeanours, prosecutors will treat them with clemency.

However, the media outlet suggested that the impact of the ongoing online casino scandal was likely to affect the forthcoming pro baseball season’s free agent market.

The outlet gave the example of the Orix Buffaloes pitcher Taisuke Yamaoka, one of the first players to approach the police with a confession about his gambling habits.

Since the scandal, Yamaoka’s return to action with the Buffaloes has been stop-start. Some claim the relationship between the pitcher and the team has broken down ahead of possible new contract talks.

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Per a ministry discussion paper published on June 20, Tokyo is consulting a panel of experts who are discussing whether officials should be given the power to block the public’s access to overseas gambling platforms.

Japan Mulling Its Online Casino Blocking Options

At present, the government only allows police and other authorities to block websites if they distribute child pornography.

Tokyo has since resisted pressure to extend this to sites that host pirated manga titles and illegally downloaded TV shows.

Communications and privacy-related laws are enshrined in the Japanese constitution. This means the matter may have to be cleared by some of the highest courts in the land.

However, the ministry appears ready to act if it feels that all other options have been exhausted.

The ministry has been discussing the matter with a panel of experts since April this year. Experts were tasked with weighing up the technical viability of potential blocking orders.

To block access, IP providers would need to check all the addresses accessed by their customers. At present, this would constitute a violation of the Constitution.

A Four-Stage Process

The experts agreed that Tokyo should launch a four-stage blocking procedure. The first stage would involve deciding whether all other measures have been exhausted.

A second phase is to establish whether the benefits gained from blocking moves outweigh the drawbacks.

In a third stage, experts would draw up the legal framework necessary to implement the block. And a fourth and final stage would focus on implementation and other practical concerns.

Lawmakers are currently in the final stages of approving an amendment to the Basic Law for Countermeasures against Gambling and Other Addictions.

This legal change will comprehensively criminalize the operation, promotion, and patronage of online gaming services, including online casinos and other similar activities. It will also introduce harsher punishments for violators.

The ministry’s document notes that this new amendment will make it easier for social media platform operators to delete gambling-related posts. They will also be able to create more effective terms and conditions policies.

The document’s authors also claim that the law will make it easier to request overseas site operators to take measures such as restricting access from Japanese IP addresses (geoblocking).

Japanese Police Broaden Crackdown

Police officials are trying to pre-empt this move with requests of their own amid a wider online casino crackdown.

Through the Foreign Ministry, police have already requested that the governments of seven overseas territories urge companies to cease targeting Japanese customers.

The document mentions several DNS blocking methods. 

Sometimes referred to as DNS filtering, this technique is often used to restrict access to websites by preventing DNS servers (the servers responsible for translating domain names to number-based IP addresses) from matching domain names with IP addresses.

This method makes websites unreachable from selected networks. The ministry noted that the DNS method is already “used in Japan to block child pornography and in other countries to block online casinos.”

It concluded that DNS blocking would encourage more IP providers to participate in government-led anti-gambling initiatives.

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In a report broken by Fuji News, the four players have been named as Shuta Tonosaki, Sena Tsuge, Shinya Hasegawa, and Ryosuke Kodama. The staffer has not been identified.

The five involved are believed to have self-reported to the team about gambling at online casinos, which is a crime in Japan. 

Subsequently, police were called to investigate, interviewed the men, and confirmed the activity through their smartphones. The case has now been referred to prosecutors.

Japan Clamping Down On Online Casinos

Under Japanese law, gambling at online casinos can incur a fine of up to $500,000 or a 3-year prison sentence for habitual gambling. The NPB also has strict rules about gambling and has issued fines as well as bans from the sport for similar past offenses. 

Earlier this year, 16 NPB players were fined for online casino gambling, with charges ranging from around $600 to $20,000. In this case, there were no suspensions or criminal referrals, as none were found betting on baseball games. 

Japan has been increasing penalties for gambling at online casinos, however. The Lower House passed a bill earlier this month to increase penalties on gambling operators, individual gamblers, and anyone promoting illegal gambling sites through social media.  

This week, boy band JO1 member Shion Tsurubo has also been referred to prosecutors for gambling at online casinos. In addition, a man was arrested in April for gambling an estimated $625,000 on Stake, as well as promoting the platform through social media. 

Tsurubo, like many others, claimed that he did not know betting on foreign gambling sites was illegal. Japan has requested foreign governments to assist in shutting down illegal sites that target Japanese gamblers. 

Curaçao is estimated to host 70% of the illegal online casino sites that actively target Japanese gamblers. Along with contacting the Dutch Caribbean territory, Japan’s central government also requested cooperation from authorities in Costa Rica, Canada, Malta, Georgia, Gibraltar, and the UK’s Isle of Man in May of this year.

Players Include 3x All-Star And Regular Starters

Shuta Tonosaki is the most senior member involved in the gambling scandal. The 32-year-old is a 3-time NPB All-Star, including in the last two seasons. He has hit over 100 career home runs over a 10-year career at the Seibu Lions. 

Backup catcher Sena Tsuge has appeared in nearly 200 games since debuting for the team in 2020. Shinya Hasegawa and Ryosuke Kodama joined the Saitama side, based just outside Tokyo, more recently, but have also featured fairly regularly since debuting in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Despite the allegations, Tonosaki and Hasegawa both started for the Lions in their match against Yokohama Baystars on Thursday, June 19, after the story broke. Hasegawa batted in a 2-1 victory for the team, who currently sit in third place in the Pacific League. 

The Lions finished in last place in the Pacific League last season and have not won the Japan Series since 2008. Baseball is the most popular sport for betting in the country. A report estimated that Japanese gamblers wagered over $4 billion on illegal betting sites on baseball last year. 

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Tokyo has stepped up its efforts to stamp out illegal online gambling in the past few months, with a crackdown on celebrities and sports stars who use foreign gambling apps.

Lawmakers have also voted in favor of a private member’s bill that seeks to increase the punishments available to courts prosecuting people accused of operating or using overseas casino sites.

Japanese Casino Crackdown

The National Diet wants to criminalize the promotion of such sites. It aims to grant law enforcement agencies the authority to initiate criminal proceedings against social media influencers who promote online casinos on their platforms.

Lawmakers submitted their bill to Yoshitaka Ito, the Minister of State for Special Missions in the Cabinet Office, for final approval on June 18, the Constitutional Party of Japan reported.

However, the National Police Agency is currently powerless to stop online casinos operating in overseas jurisdictions.

Instead, the newspaper Yomiuri explained, the agency has turned to the central government to ask seven of its counterparts to act.

The agency is particularly keen for the government of the Dutch Caribbean territory of Curaçao to cooperate.

It believes that some 70% of the illegal online casino sites that actively target Japanese gamblers are based in Curaçao.

Close Sites or Force Them to Block Japanese Traffic, Police Urge

The agency, via the ministry, also asked authorities in Costa Rica, Canada, Malta, Georgia, Gibraltar, and the UK’s Isle of Man for their cooperation in May this year, the outlet explained.

Tokyo has also asked the authorities in Anjouan, an autonomous part of the Comoro Islands, for their cooperation in the matter.

A ministry spokesperson said police hope the nations’ governments will either force the sites to close or impose geo-blocking orders.

These orders could force online casino providers to block Japanese IP addresses from accessing their sites. The ministry has also asked the governments in question to force online gambling services to remove Japanese-language services and content.

The ministry also wants such sites to clearly indicate, in Japanese, that gambling is a criminal act in Japan.

The agency said it would cooperate with the aforementioned governments to “encourage” casino operators to halt services for Japanese users.

Police Have 40 Sites in Crosshairs

In the past, the Financial Services Agency (FSA), the nation’s top financial regulator, has sent “cease and desist” requests directly to overseas-based crypto exchange operators who court Japanese customers.

Japanese law dictates that only FSA permit-holding platforms can provide crypto exchange services to Japanese customers.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ expert panel suggested that Tokyo create a blacklist of online casinos with Japanese language services.

The ministry could then seek to force Japanese IP providers to block their customers from accessing these sites.

The police believe that the majority of Japanese gambling-related traffic is concentrated on just 40 overseas sites.

Officers think some 3.37 million Japanese residents have gambled on online casino platforms.

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The news agency Kyodo News reported that the House of Representatives voted in favor of an amendment to the Basic Law on Countermeasures against Gambling Addiction.

The new rules will grant law enforcement agencies and courts additional powers to shut down and block gambling-related websites.

The bill has now passed to the upper house of the National Diet, the House of Councillors. The house is set to fast-track a vote in the coming days.

Japanese Parliament Ready to Give Police New Powers

Most forms of online betting are prohibited in Japan. However, the majority of online casinos targeting Japanese customers are based overseas.

Police think 70% of Japanese-language online casinos are based in the Caribbean island nation of Curaçao.

The amendment will effectively criminalize accessing gambling websites from within Japan. Courts will gain the power to fine bettors using online casinos up to around $3,500.

The amendment also stipulates that repeat offenders can be punished with jail terms of up to three years.

Crackdowns on gambling in Japan have intensified this year. Last month, a 30-year-old civil servant in Kanagawa Prefecture was suspended for six months and docked pay for gambling on his smartphone while at work.

Police say the civil servant also leaked his colleagues’ data to “unregistered” loan sharks to raise money to fuel his gambling habits.

Additionally, a 38-year-old man was arrested for allegedly gambling as much as 28 billion yen ($194.4 million) through online casinos. 

The suspect admitted the allegations, telling authorities: “News reports said there were hundreds of thousands of players in Japan, so I thought I was only the tip of the iceberg.”

3.37 Million Residents Have Used Illegal Gambling Sites, Say Police

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet signed off on the new amendment back in March this year. However, it has since been refined as police intensify their efforts against illegal betting.

Last month, some of the country’s top firms reported that Japanese residents are now spending approximately $44.2 billion on sports betting annually.

The National Police Agency has estimated that, to date, around 3.37 million Japanese people have visited online casinos this year. Citizens have placed bets worth some 1.2 trillion yen ($8.2 billion), police explained. The country has also been rocked by several recent betting scandals involving professional baseball players and TV personalities.

The new measures also include clauses related to social media platforms operating in Japan, such as YouTube and Instagram.

The bill gives police and courts the power to order these platforms to delete content that directs Japanese web users to gambling-related websites.

Additionally, the amendment requires Japanese administrative departments to step up public awareness campaigns. Such campaigns will help publicize the illegality of illegal gambling, lawmakers say.

Many defendants in gambling-related court cases have complained they were not aware that placing bets on overseas sites was a criminal offense.

Kyodo reported that both the ruling and opposition parties agreed that emergency measures were necessary to tackle the rise of gambling sites that court Japanese residents.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, meanwhile, has launched an expert task force.

The new unit has been tasked with drafting new countermeasures to combat the rise of overseas-based casinos.

The ministry is reportedly considering measures such as forcing Japanese IP providers to block users’ access to gambling websites.

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According to reports from The Asahi Shimbun, Makoto Chombayashi has been accused of wagering 90 million yen ($625,500), predominantly on baccarat with crypto-first online casino Stake between August 2022 and April 2025. 

Investigators suggest that Chombayashi may have lost 40 million yen ($277,720) in the period under investigation. 

The suspect admitted to the allegations, saying: “News reports said there were hundreds of thousands of players in Japan, so I thought I was only the tip of the iceberg.” 

Tokyo Authorities Confront Growing Illegal Japanese Online Gambling 

A recent report from the country’s Council for Sports Ecosystem Promotion suggests that Japanese residents spend $44.2 billion on overseas-based illegal betting sites each year. 

In addition, Tokyo announced plans in March to adapt its plans in an attempt to curb growing gambling addiction in the country. 

Local news outlets suggested that the Japan National Police Agency estimates that 3.7 million Japanese people have visited illicit online casinos, placing wagers of over 1.2 trillion yen ($8.2 million).

The data corroborates Chombayashi’s belief, although local reports outline that this could be the most significant amount attributed to an individual in the country. 

The National Police Agency reported that it had made 279 arrests for online casino-related gambling in 2024, up 160% from 2023’s number. 

The numbers outlined by the Police Agency emerged from a nationwide survey of 27,145 people, and 40% of survey respondents “did not realize gambling was illegal.” 

Suspect Also Acted as Affiliate

Investigators believe Chombayashi also acted as an affiliate for Stake.. He posted numerous images of gambling wins on the social media platform X, under the alias “Meikyo Shisui,” which means “clear and serene mind” in Chinese philosophy. 

Investigators believe that the suspect may have referred over 100 players to the online casino, earning 7 million yen ($48,602) in commission. 

Chombayashi has claimed he was motivated by a desire for ‘recognition’ and that praise for his jackpot wins ‘boosted his self-worth.’ 

The post Japanese Man Arrested in Potential ¥28 Billion Online Gambling Case appeared first on CasinoBeats.

The Japanese media outlet Kanaloco reported that the unnamed public official also sold his co-workers’ private data.

The Kanagawa Prefecture government announced in an official release that the man’s pay would be reduced by 10% for the next six months.

Japanese Civil Servant: Gambling Punishment Announced

The official is described as a 30-year-old male Kanagawa Prefecture’s Environment and Agriculture Bureau employee.

The prefecture’s disciplinary board explained that the civil servant had repeatedly placed bets on online casino platforms using his smartphone during work hours.

The board said the staffer was given a summary order on April 26, 2024, after investigators learned he had been gambling at work since November 2023.

The man was suspended from his duties for six months. However, the board explained that five days after returning from suspension, he began gambling at work again.

During his suspension, the employee repeatedly lied to his superiors, with whom he was in regular contact.

He told senior bureau officials that he was no longer gambling when, in fact, he continued to place bets during his suspension, the board continued.

The man also leaked his colleagues’ personal information to “unregistered” loan sharks so he could raise more money to fuel his gambling habits.

Man Repeatedly Played Slot Machines, Says Disciplinary Board

Officials explained that the man placed at least 50,000 yen ($350) worth of bets on online slot machine games.

A spokesperson for the prefecture said: “This incident has shaken the public trust in the prefecture. It is truly regrettable. We would like to offer our deepest apologies to residents.”

There are currently over 3.33 million civil servants in Japan. Public servant jobs remain coveted in the country, mainly because of their many benefits and famous job security.

However, the rules governing the behavior of civil service officials remain famously strict. They comprise a comprehensive code of ethics that expressly forbids gambling.

Gambling is growing increasingly popular in Japan, with illegal betting sites increasingly targeting Japanese customers.

An association comprising many of the country’s top firms estimated this month that Japanese residents spend $44.2 billion on illegal sports betting sites based overseas every year.

Earlier this year, the National Police Agency reported that 3.37 million Japanese people have visited online casinos to date.

The agency believes bettors in the country have spent 1.2 trillion yen ($8.2 billion) on these sites. Police added that Most Japanese-language online casinos operate out of the Caribbean island nation of Curaçao.

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Per a report from Nikkei, the claim comes from the Council for Sports Ecosystem Promotion. The council comprises 115 of Japan’s biggest companies, including NTT Docomo, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, ASICS, Mizuho Bank, NEC, and Softbank.

Japanese Sports Betting Crackdown Incoming?

The body aims to accelerate the digital transformation process in Japanese sports and increase grassroots sports’ social value.

The council conducted a survey during the Financial Year 2024. It found that, in this period, Japanese residents placed bets worth 6.4503 trillion yen on sports-related bets on overseas sites.

The survey found that Japanese gamblers placed 1.183 trillion yen ($8.1 billion) worth of bets on domestic sports fixtures in FY2024.

This figure dwarfs the $915 million that Japanese residents spent on the official Sports Promotion Lottery in the same year.

The authors noted that over half of these illegal bets were on professional baseball games. Soccer and basketball-related bets accounted for a cumulative 333.4 billion yen ($2.3 billion)

The council is concerned about the risk of sports players conspiring to fix matches.

It also called for an international framework to combat illegal sports gambling. The body will work with similar organizations in countries worldwide on anti-match fixing initiatives.

Match Fixing Revelations

Match-fixing allegations continue to plague Japanese sports. In 2011, the nation was rocked by a major sumo tournament scandal.

In 2017, the Japanese tennis player Junn Mitsuhashi was banned for life and fined $50,000 for attempting to rig two professional matches in 2015.

Several high-profile Japanese baseball players have recently admitted to visiting online casinos.

In March, 16 professional players, including the Orix Buffaloes pitcher Taisuke Yamaoka, were fined and suspended for illegally using online betting sites.

This month, two more players from the Yomiuri Giants were referred to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of placing bets on casino sites.

Major Japanese media outlets claim that while Japan has outlawed most forms of sports betting, efforts to stop residents from placing bets on games are “unregulated and chaotic.”

The outlets say this means a continuous outflow of funds is heading to overseas betting sites, many of which openly cater to Japanese bettors.

Illegal Casino Sites Growing in Popularity

In March this year, Tokyo announced plans to update its existing plans to curb gambling addiction in Japan.

The plan was launched in earnest under former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The latter told parliament that “ministries and agencies must work together to crack down on online casinos. Regardless, the number of people using these sites in Japan appears to be rising.

In March, the newspaper Ryukyu Shimpo reported that the National Police Agency estimates 3.37 million Japanese people have visited online casinos, where they have placed bets worth some 1.2 trillion yen ($8.2 billion).

The agency said it arrested 279 people for online casino-related gambling in 2024. While this number is relatively small, it represents a x2.6 increase from 2023’s figures.

The agency based its estimates on a nationwide survey of 27,145 people. Police found that most online casino patrons are aged 30 and below, with 6% aged 15-19. Forty percent of survey respondents claimed they “did not realize online gambling was illegal.”

Investigators think that 70% of Japanese-language online casinos operate out of the Caribbean island nation of Curaçao.

Police have also warned celebrities and influencers. The agency said some social media stars have promoted online casinos. Officers warned that this could be punishable as a form of “abetting gambling.”Despite the crackdown, work is underway on an $8.1 billion casino in Osaka. The casino would be the nation’s first, and operators say it will be ready to open its doors in 2030.

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Interviewed on Bloomberg Daybreak: Middle East, Murren said that the US-based operator was confident Osaka would be leading the line when Japan finally confirms the three IR locations.

“We believe Osaka will be the first IR location,” said Murren. “The government is very anxious to get the World Expo 2025 site in Osaka developed soon,” he said, adding that this would give Osaka the edge over the other two IR locations – none of which have been officially confirmed.

Referring to the anticipated invitation to submit interest in developing and operating an IR site in Japan, Murren confirmed that MGM would respond to a Request For Proposals should the opportunity arise. “MGM is going to be one of the bidders for the RFP,” he said.

“I am confident Osaka will be one of the three (IR sites) and I am working hard for MGM to be the IR operator in Osaka,” Murren reiterated.

“We’re meeting with Japanese companies and hope to form a Japanese consortium. We’re trying to outwork our competitors a little bit, so well see.”

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Central to the charges are allegations of Pan committing four violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Meanwhile, BIT Mining will pay a total of $14m as a result of the charges, entering itself into a deferred prosecution agreement. 

However, a federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned an indictment against Pan, who has been charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery and books and records provisions of the FCPA, one count of violating the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA, and two counts of violating the books and records provisions of the FCPA.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M Argentieri, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, stated: “BIT Mining, under the alleged direction of then-CEO Zhengming Pan, agreed to pay nearly $2m in bribes to Japanese government officials to win a contract to open a lucrative resort and casino in Japan.

“Pan has been indicted for his alleged role in directing company consultants to pay the bribes and to conceal the illicit payments through sham consulting contracts. Today’s resolution and the charges against Pan demonstrate the department’s continued commitment to holding both corporate and individual wrongdoers accountable for their crimes.”

The court documents claimed that between 2017 and 2019, BIT Mining, then known as 500.com, admitted that its then-CEO Pan, employees and agents agreed to pay approximately $1.9m in bribes and payments to intermediaries, knowing the money would be used to make bribe payments to Japanese government officials. 

The motive was allegedly to help 500.com win a bid to open an integrated resort (a large resort that includes hotels, casinos, retail, dining, convention facilities and entertainment venues) in Japan. 

“Paying bribes to foreign government officials is a serious crime. The top leadership of BIT Mining, then known as 500.com, directed consultants to pay bribes to Japanese government officials to win a bid to open a large resort in Japan,” said US Attorney Philip R Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. 

“The illegal scheme started at the top, with the company’s CEO allegedly fully involved in directing the illicit payments and the subsequent efforts to conceal them. The company has admitted its crimes and agreed to pay a $10m penalty, and its then-CEO has been charged for his role in the scheme. This agreement and indictment hold both the corporation as an entity and its top leadership accountable.”

Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, said: “Today’s indictment against the former CEO of BIT Mining for bribing Japanese officials highlights the FBI’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for illegal conduct.  

“This type of criminal activity undermines the integrity of business practices. The FBI will relentlessly pursue those involved in illegal schemes creating unfair advantages and ensure they face the full consequences of the law.”

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