The State Of Online Casino Industry in Japan – The most popular online casino Vera and John

Online gambling has seen exponential growth all over the world. Ever since the imposition of physical lockdowns and social distancing, the online gambling sector has become very popular even among people living in Japan, where most gambling forms are prohibited.

According to the country’s law, a person caught gambling shall be subjected to a fine or a petty fine of not more than 500,000 Yen. There are blanket laws in place that ban almost all types of physical gambling. 

Even though gambling is illegal and there are no legal casinos in Japan, gambling is still a popular entertainment form. It is legal in Japan to place bets on sports such as Horse racing, bicycle racing, motorbike racing, soccer, and powerboat racing. It is legal to place bets on National lotteries too. 

However, as far as online gambling is concerned, there are no laws in place legalizing online gambling sites. Hence online gambling in Japan falls into the legal grey area.

Currently, there are no major cases or records available to the public regarding people being prosecuted for betting or playing games on online casinos in Japan. Online gambling and online casinos in Japan are not covered under the Casino Acts, and as a result, there are no clear-cut regulations imposed on them. 

However, claims of online gambling being legalized in Japan have been dismissed by the government, stating that online gambling is illegal and there will be crackdowns and punishment on such activities. 

Japan has been witnessing an increase in its usage of offshore gaming portals ever since the pandemic. The Japanese have always been familiar with gambling despite their restrictive laws. Pachinko, a mix between a slot machine and a pinball machine, is a form of gambling that is very popular in Japan. A Pachinko player’s main aim is to try and control the pinball machine and try to save their steel ball for the longest time. 

A pachinko machine can process up to 100 balls per minute, and the game ends when the player loses all their steel balls or decides to end the game and exchange the steel balls for a prize. There are many Pachinko parlors all across Japan and are extremely eye-catching, inviting, and easy to access. You can exchange your winnings at the Pachinko parlors to get items such as cigarettes, electronic gadgets, groceries, silver, and gold. You could also win money indirectly as you could always choose to sell the prizes that you have won.

The Popularity Of Vera And John In Japan

Vera and John is an online casino company that is extremely popular in Japan. According to a study, it was the most popular casino platform in Japan, also because of easy Vera and John withdrawal. The casino site recorded a 119-fold jump in its monthly visits from Japan from 6,48,000 visits in 2018 to an astonishing number of 77.51 million in the year 2019

Some say that Vera and John was the reason for the growth of the online gaming community in Japan. The online casino platform was one of the first companies to enter the Japanese market who has managed to gain the attention of the Japanese players and their loyalty. 

One of the many reasons Vera and John became such a hit among Japanese players is its top-class language support, quality graphics, easy navigation, and diverse and wide range of online casino games. Vera and John have hundreds of online slot games, live casino games, and table games which are easily accessible on PCs, tablets, and mobile phones.

Are you wondering how to withdraw at Vera and John? The online casino platform offers its users easy transaction facilities where players can easily and quickly withdraw their winnings. They offer a wide range of withdrawal and deposit methods such as credit card and debit card payments, e-wallets, cheques, international wire transfers, and bank transfers. Apart from this, the company frequently runs several campaigns which specifically target Japanese players. This has helped them create a strong following of players from Japan. One could say that Vera and John have paved the way for other online gambling platforms to start and flourish in Japan.

Online Gambling In Japan

Since most forms of gambling are illegal, there are no physical casinos available to people residing in Japan. Everyone can’t travel to gambling destinations such as Macau to gamble. Hence, Japan’s online gambling sector has continuously managed to attract many players by providing them with a host of online games to bet on. 

Various online betting platforms now use marketing tricks such as displaying messages in Japanese to attract customers from Japan. Betting sites such as Bet365, Vegas Casino, Sloto’cash Casino, LeoVegas, and Bitstars casino encourage and welcome Japan’s players to use their betting platforms. The widespread advertisements of online gaming websites, ease of registration, and transactions have made it extremely easy for overseas players to register and play on online gaming portals.

Even though online gambling and most forms of gambling are illegal in Japan, awareness regarding the illegality of gambling is extremely low among people. According to a survey conducted on 1000 Japanese people by a group from Tokyo called the International Casino Institute, in December 2020, only 41% of the participants knew that online gambling was illegal and betting online was a criminal offense. 18% thought it was legal to gamble online, whereas the other 41 percent said it fell into the gray zone. 

Restrictions may be in place to stop people from most forms of gambling. However, the Japanese have always indulged in different forms of games similar to gambling to keep themselves entertained. Pachinko, Mahjong, Toto, and the lotteries are extremely famous and popular in Japan. They are classified as amusements and are regulated under separate laws. Betting on Horse racing, Bicycle racing, and various other motorsports are legal in Japan so even if online gambling and physical casinos are not available for you, you always have plenty of other legal options to place your bets on if you are from Japan.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: casino, industry, japan, john, online, popular, ...

Has the Online Slots Industry Increased During the Last Year?

Slots are the very niche of the online gambling market. The arrival of the digital age has consolidated the position of the ever-expanding online slots industry as one of the nouveau riche industries. Not to mention the breath-taking graphics designing software, 3D illustrations, efficient in-game features, and mobile-compatibility has brought online slots into vogue. 

Last year, the online casino market saw a gigantic boost in online slot players and thus in the profit that online casinos are making. Slots are fun, addictive, and relatively simpler than table-games. So, it becomes a comfort zone for most gamblers who want to invest less time into knowing the game. It also offers quick money. In recent years, slots have adapted themes from Hollywood movies, cartoons, manga, and whatnot! Nowadays, you can find a slot with any title and read a full review on a video game or gambling sites like Free Slots No Download. 

What Do You Need to Know About Online Slots?

Answering the most asked question about online slots for all the newbie gamblers out there – It is impossible for you to beat the online slot machine. There’s no way you get to scam an online slot machine. It is because they use the RNG, which will decide your fate randomly, and you cannot influence it no matter what! A slot machine usually has 5 reels, and you have to spin them to hit some matching symbols as given in the paytable. Once you hit a set of matching symbols, you win! 

Unlike old brick-and-mortar slot machines, online slots have revolutionized spinning actions by introducing interesting in-game bonus features. They are wilds, scatters, extra free spins, sticky wilds. Playing an online slot is a piece of cake if you go through the paytable of the game at first. You might not be able to control the game outcome, but you can play smart and know the rules while using any bonuses. 

What Are the Factors Responsible for the Industry’s Growth?

There are a number of reasons that fuel the growth of this industry. Those being pretty obvious even to a layman. Take a look at the causes listed below. 

Mobile Gambling

Many consider online slots to be the next generation of mobile gaming. Survey says that an average man invests 60% of his time during the day on his smartphone. It is an obvious fact that in this fast-paced world, our brain is over-occupied most of the time. So, after a long workday, our brains search for quick entertainment, and nothing could be better than playing Las Vegas style slots from the comfort of your couch. 

The online slots industry has taken great advantage of the dawn of mobile gaming. They have tapped into this fast and responsive technology. Now, most casinos are mobile compatible and give you the same benefits as the desktop version. This has rapidly augmented the reach of slots amidst avid gamblers.

Robust Gambling Software Programs

With popularity, the race to survive the cut-throat competition has also begun. Online casinos are bringing in better than ever software programs that are crash-proof and can display a wide collection. These supreme software programs also provide complete transparency into their functioning and performance. They provide a neat, organized user-friendly interface. Slots also use an RNG software program that determines the result of your spins. All the players have an equal possibility to win or lose. 

License

The slots that most casinos contain are licensed by reputed gambling organizations. So, gamblers are no more afraid of fraud or casinos, making a profit in any illegal way. Some of the reputed gambling licenses include UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, Alderney Gambling Control Commission.

Exclusive Bonuses 

The slot Industry is getting more boost as casinos are introducing incredible no-deposit and deposit bonuses with free spins and guaranteed cash backs on certain slots. Cashable bonuses prove to be extremely popular choices. This steady flow of more desirable bonus offers is drawing in a huge gambling population from all over the world. Slots also give you the opportunity to hit mouth-watering jackpots. Good bonuses make all the difference!

Diverse Themes

Punters are constantly looking for diversity. In recent years, slots have included a huge variety of themes ranging from Hollywood movies to lab experiments. Slot themes are also inspired by TV shows, famous festivals, traditions, and cultures. For example the most well known Pragmatic slots are Hercules and Pegasus and Greek Gods. This magnanimous level of diversity from Marvel slots to some Egyptian fantasy-themed slots makes it harder for newbies to explore the world of slot games at first. This is precisely why many online bookmakers encourage punters to spin slots for fun. Of course, you won’t be able to win any real money by playing for free, but you may test the slot and look for yourself which one suits your taste.

Exposure to the International Market

The International gambling sphere is always hungry for new innovations. It doesn’t matter from which provider a slot is coming; if it gives access to players from all over the world, that slot will be an instant hit. Soon slots will step into the mainstream video gaming influence. Last year has seen an unprecedented profit in this promising industry. And more is yet to be achieved!

Intel on Some In-Game features 

Unquestionably, slot bonus features are the best ways for you to win big by wagering less. In the past year, a lot of tools have come to hand, and punters are crazy about all of them! Also, progressive jackpot slots are even more advantageous to the punters. So, be on the lookout for them. Now, let this article discuss some of the awesome bonus features that you should grab as soon as you see them. They are:

  • Wilds, Sticky Wilds, Expanding Wilds
  • Scatter
  • Free Spins
  • Wheel of Fortune
  • Cascading Reels
  • Retriggering 
  • Multipliers
  • Symbol upgrade

Gauging the Growth of This industry

The slot industry has ramped up dramatically during the last year, and the profit is quite evident. The slot gaming providers are thinking about introducing modern video game technologies. That will spike up the number of players inclined towards slot-play on a daily basis. Isn’t it more fun if you make money along with experiencing immersive gameplay? The inclusion of VR into the slot spinning action is a brilliant step towards building a legacy that will be continued by next-generation software programs.

2019 and 2020 have been great opportunity providers to these industries. With most people being confined in their 9 to 5 Work From Home jobs, people don’t really have the lucky chance to go out and chill. This abrupt shift hasn’t shaken the roots of the casino industry. Rather it has grown faster than ever. Millions of people are sitting home and flocking to whatever entertainment the internet has to provide them-gambling being the dominant one. 

Concluding Thoughts

In the face of fierce competition from various other flourishing industries, the online slot industry is burgeoning pretty well with its diversity and creativity. The online casinos are also going great guns because they need to keep up with the new tech and new-gen software programs that recognized gaming software providers are using. 2019 has showcased the potential of this industry and how much the casino teams care about the slot game interactivity and player satisfaction.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: increased, industry, online, slots, year

How the European Online Gambling Industry Grew in the Last Decade

Online gambling is a huge industry in Europe and the EU has a lot to do with it. The 27 member states-organization has been a huge proponent for online casinos in the last decade. And thanks to its efforts, nearly every country in Europe hosts online casinos.

In all fairness, online gambling didn’t start ten years ago. Some European countries authorized the industry at the start of the millennium. Others didn’t have online casino laws but had no problems with citizens using offshore casinos.

All the same, these are some of the ways online gambling in Europe grew.

Mobile Casinos

Although the first mobile casino launched way back in 2004, mobile casinos became popular in the last decade. The growth of iOS and smart Android devices catapulted mobile casinos into a new level.

No longer did people need a desktop computer to play a few rounds of roulette or slots. Instead, an iPhone or Android phone was all they needed to bet on casino games. These days, mobile casinos have become so dominant that they make over 50% of the iGaming business.

There are more mobile casino players than those who use desktop computers. And the reasons are compelling. To start with, mobile devices are cheap. Then they are portable, convenient and can handle all the games available on desktop casinos.

Improved Data Privacy Laws

For a long time, online casino players had little data protection. Casinos were required to encrypt customer data and keep their funds in separate bank accounts. But no laws prevented operators from sharing user data.

These days, laws protecting customer data are well-defined. With GDPR—created by the EU—online casino players have these rights:

  • Access to your data
  • The right to decline data collection
  • The right to request data erasure
  • The right to restrict data processing

The new GDPR laws also come with heavy penalties for rule-breaking. In the past, regulators like the UKGC could only apply fines worth up to £500000 if a casino violated a person’s data privacy laws. Under the new laws, casinos can be slapped with fines worth up to £20 million.

Rapid Popularity in Countries like Finland

Finland is one of the countries the EU has been pressuring to liberalize online gambling. It’s yet to yield and still runs online casino games through a monopoly. However, it’s experienced a trend in which Finnish players flock offshore casinos in search for better services.

The thing is, Finland’s only online casino, Veikkaus, has a lot of flaws. For starters, it works with a limited number of software providers: Playtech, Red Tiger and Yggdrasil. Although these developers supply 200+ games to Veikkaus, they don’t provide the large variety of games offshore casinos have.

Take casino Dreamz as an example. It’s based in Malta and provides 1000+ slots and card games from 30+ software providers. You could play NetEnt and Microgaming slots today. And switch to Play’n GO or IGT games tomorrow.

The best part is that Dreamz casino also features personalized content for players in Finland. When you sign up, you don’t have to stick to the English language. You can switch to your native language for a better experience.

New Advanced Slots

Online slots are significantly enhanced compared to games launched a decade ago. They have more colourful graphics thanks to advanced technologies. They are a tad more complex and have a series of features that spice up gameplay.

What’s more, the average slot today pays out a better rate. It’s not unusual for some games to have a Return to Player (RTP) rate of 98% (Jackpot 6000) or 99% (Mega Joker). These games also feature multipliers that magnify your profits or free spins that you more betting time.

Additionally, there are more games on the market. Top software companies like NetEnt, Playtech and Microgaming release a new slot nearly every month. Smaller companies launch a few games per year. All the same, they keep adding games to the market.

Live Casino Games

Like mobile games, live dealers have been around for over a decade. But they only became successful in the past few years. The advancement of technology, more so Internet speeds, video quality and programming knowledge helped the new sector sprout.

These days, you can play roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker in a live setting at any standard casino. For clarity, that means playing casino games in real-time while interacting with human dealers and players.

Live casino games add a sense of social games to online casinos. They also make these games competitive now that you can play them with real people. Luckily, live dealers are inexpensive and you can play a round for poker from €5 to as much as you can afford.

Faster, More Secure Payments

Although many European casinos are generally safe, not all of them work professionally. Some companies slow your payouts intentionally. Others word with dodgy payment providers. Fortunately, these companies fall into the minority section of the industry.

The best online casinos keep innovating ways to increase customer satisfaction. And one of their methods is to adopt fast banking options. You don’t need to send a check for deposits anymore. Instead, you can use PayPal or Skrill, which are faster.

On average, you can choose from five or more banking options. Many of these companies are safe and protect your data and funds accordingly. Some of them also let you work with casinos without providing KYC documents.

Problem Gambling Protection Laws

Lately, European countries have been enthusiastic in creating problem gambling laws. They are steps in the right direction anyway and help ensure casinos don’t take advantage of vulnerable players.

In the UK, most casinos are required to have tools that help players manage their betting habits. They also allow players to suspend or close their accounts if it becomes necessary. Operators in Sweden and Malta have similar policies. And in the usual style, they hold casinos accountable if they fail to protect their customers.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: decade, european, gambling, grew, industry, online, ...

ESports – the multi million pound industry that shows no sign of slowing down

When some of Europe’s biggest soccer clubs become involved, it’s a sure sign that there is money to be made. Soccer’s voracious appetite for money is legendary and when it comes to exploiting market segments, few sporting organisations are better than soccer clubs.

Paris St Germain, Santos, Manchester City, West Ham United, Ajax, Besiktas and Schalke are just some of the clubs involved. When leagues begin partnerships, it’s a sign of more investment to come.

City signed their first eSports player others are ahead of that curve. For the clubs, it’s all about brand exposure. Tara Warren, executive director of communications at West Ham, explained that digital and tech are the club’s priorities as far as brand awareness is concerned. eSports and the professional game enjoy a symbiotic relationship.

So too do other sports and the burgeoning eSports, which is of little surprise when the market is estimated by some analysts to be worth $1bn in 2018. Global sport finance specialists, Deloitte, offers more caution, predicting significant – but smaller – growth, a point with which the Financial Times agrees.

It’s clear that some areas of eSports are more established than others. While the winners of the Interactive FIFA World Cup receive £20,000, the winning team at the International Dota 2 Championships get £6.7m. To put it into context, the winner of the Men’s Singles at Wimbledon 2017 will walk away with a cheque for £2.2m. According to the BBC, the total prize money won globally in 2016 was a staggering $93.3m.

Premier League involvement may see the FIFA money increase; 600m players worldwide mean that each year’s new version of the game pulls in more money than the previous edition.

And if you’re still not convinced eSports is the real deal, consider this. An ESL Gaming initiative, in co-operation with NADA and working toward WADA recognition, is to outlaw the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) which blight other sports. eSports has arrived.

Taking Advantage Of The Tools To Hand

All this from humble beginnings when groups of players met at conventions for multi-player tournaments. Now, most online bookmakers offer a full market on events, while Betway Sports made the headlines last year when they became lead sponsor of Ninjas in Pyjamas, one of the world’s most famous eSports teams.

Despite the money involved, there’s still a perception in the wider world, that eSports is a fad, a new toy whose novelty will soon wear off. Nothing could be further from the truth; eSports will evolve in the same way other professional sports did.

It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that the UK bought into American football. Since then, it has grown through a path of two steps forward, one back. Now more popular than ever, the Super Bowl is becoming an ‘event’ in its own right in these green and pleasant lands.

eSports is unlikely to follow a similar trajectory. It’s very nature puts it front and centre of the technological world we live in today. Any advancements are likely to pull eSports along with them, giving it an immediate advantage on those which went before.

There’s little sign of the growth stalling. It may slow down in coming years but with studios producing games deliberately designed for the eSports, as well as the domestic markets, the signs are that there is much more to come.

Perhaps the biggest danger is the internal perception. With prize money commanding staggering sums, there is bound to be a schism at some point. Those who want the ‘purity’ of their eSports retained will reach a point where the mainstream popularity is too much for them. A bit like fans of a band who after years of working the club circuit make it big but some resent their ‘precious’ being popular.

The Future’s Bright, The Future’s Unlimited

That won’t matter much in the overall scheme of things. As eSports gains in popularity and the additions outweigh the churn of players, there is no problem. BI Intelligence reported that 300m people “tune in” to eSports today, with projects of 500m by 2020. With that kind of reach, the cliff edge seems some way off.

It’s important to remember that as an industry, professional eSports is less than a decade old. Amateur level occupies the same level as Comicon, where the participants are viewed as obsessives. Professionalism confers a different status and in a young industry, there are still plenty of revenue streams to exploit.

Indeed, there are more games to exploit. The genres may be well defined but the games themselves are limited by technology and human imagination. So long as the studios come up with original ideas, as well as iterations of games which capture the imagination of the players, there is a market for eSports.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: esports, industry, million, multi, pound, shows, ...

Why Blockchain Technology is Causing an Industry Revolution​

If you listen to the tech experts, then we’re in the middle of a blockchain revolution. The technology behind the often misunderstood currency, Bitcoin, blockchain is currently being adopted by a variety of industries.

Without delving too deep into its specifics, blockchain is basically a way of validating transactions without the need for human authorisation. Each time a Bitcoin payment is sent a specific address, it needs to be verified by a network of computers. Once the payment is verified, its details are stored in a block of valid transactions and this block is then uploaded to the network of the computer holding the blockchain.

Breaking Down the Blockchain

Essentially, a blockchain is a record of every Bitcoin transaction, in much the same way a bank uses a ledger to track payments across accounts. However, because this system is updated every 10 minutes and stored on network of computers, it means that each transaction is highly secure.

Although somewhat complex for the general public to really appreciate, the tech experts in the banking world, healthcare profession and security industry are all starting to use this technology to enhance their services. Indeed, according to a recent report by the Financial Times, blockchain looks set to “disrupt” the way the fund industry currently operates.

With blockchain gaining in popularity, many experts, including the Digital Current Group’s Barry Silbert, have suggested that this revolution could help to make Bitcoin a mainstream product. Back when the cryptocurrency first went live in 2009, many insiders believed it would become the currency of choice for the masses within a few years.

Unfortunately, those predictions were a tad optimistic as Bitcoin is still seen as an “alternative” option rather than “the” option for those spending money online. However, that’s not to say you can’t do some “mainstream” things with Bitcoin. Indeed, when you consider that British Airways, a company that made $1.2 billion (£850 million) in profit in 2015, now accepts Bitcoin payments, it’s clear the currency is gaining credibility.

Bitcoin Already Has Base Online

In fact, it’s not only the aviation industry that’s starting to realise the value of Bitcoin payments. iGaming, otherwise known as online gambling, is a $41 billion (£28 billion) industry that’s starting to see more Bitcoin-based sites spring up. VegasCasino, a Vegas Royal S.A., platform now offers an array of Bitcoin only betting options.

Inside the VegasCasino sportsbook, customers can place bets from as little as 0.10 mBTC on everything from football and Euro 2016, to the NBA playoffs and the Olympics. Similarly, the site also offers slots, table games and ever virtual lotteries; all of which are powered by Bitcoin alone.

Beyond the iGaming industry, Dell, the computer manufacturer, brokered a deal with Bitcoin walled Coinbase in 2015 which allowed cryptocurrency customers to get a discount on Alienware PCs. Similarly, Overstock.com began offering discounted prices on everything from watches to bed linen after it started accepting Bitcoin payments in 2014.

Are We on the Cusp of Technological Shift?

In a nutshell, what we’re currently seeing is a shift in the way transactions of all shapes and sizes are processed online. As we can see, Bitcoin is already thriving in a variety of industries and it’s this popularity that has helped blockchain technology move into the mainstream.

Whether or not this will in turn bring people’s attention back around to Bitcoin remains to be seen, but what is clear is that people are willing to accept new forms of technology and that should mean we’ll be seeing a myriad of innovations in the coming months and years.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: blockchain, causing, industry, revolution, technology
Page 1 of 1