Japanese lawmakers met to discuss the prospect of legalizing sports betting, but the group has no plans to relax the country’s strict laws in the near term. 

Esports betting remains illegal in Japan, with only a select number of gambling activities allowed. Residents can wager on boat races, horse racing, cycling, and motorbike racing, all organized by government agencies. 

All other sports betting is strictly forbidden. Japanese news outlet The Yomiumi Shimbun reported that the interparty group, chaired by former Prime Minister Taro Aso, said it will not be pushing for any changes to these laws. 

Instead, lawmakers will be pushing for more enforcement of the current rules, in a bid to clamp down on illegal offshore gambling. 

Sadayuki Sakakibara, commissioner of the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, also joined the meeting and urged action to protect the integrity of sports. Sakakibara stated, “Illegal gambling on sports, which is spreading beyond national borders, is a serious risk. It could damage trust in sports.”

Illegal Gambling Attracts Japanese Bettors

According to the Council for Sports Ecosystem Promotion, people in Japan bet at least ¥6.5 trillion ($43 billion) via overseas gambling sites last year. 

Events such as Evo Japan attract esports bettors in the country, while major sports such as baseball and soccer are also popular for gamblers. 

Unlike many other countries where law enforcement tends to focus prosecution on illegal operators, Japan also arrests individuals gambling at illegal platforms. 

Earlier this month, police in Nagasaki arrested a high school pupil, an unemployed man, and a university student for gambling at online casinos. 

There have also been several high-profile celebrities, including a comedian, baseball players, and singers arrested this year for similar offences. 

Esports Joins Anti-Gambling Campaigns With Police

In response to the growth of illegal online gambling in Japan, Capcom, the game developer behind Street Fighter, launched an anti-gambling campaign with the police. 

In October, the Osaka Prefectural Police uploaded a promotional video to its official channel as part of its campaign.

The video features popular character Ken Masters, who vows to bring to justice the operator of an unlicensed gambling app that uses his image.

Japanese esports team CAG Osaka also joined the campaign, appearing at an anti-gambling awareness event earlier this year. 

The campaigns are designed to spread awareness that gambling on esports and almost everything else is strictly prohibited in Japan. 

The meeting last week suggests that will not change anytime soon.