Introducing the types of gambling available in Japan: Compare their features and benefits to online casinos!

The types of gambling that can be played in Japan are major ones such as horse racing and pachinko, and stock investment that requires knowledge. Lottery tickets are sold all over the city. Also, insurance, which at first glance may not seem like gambling, is said to be a form of gambling.

Gambling is not considered to have a good image, but in fact, it is closer to home than you might think. In this article, we will itemize the types and characteristics of such gambling and introduce them in detail.

What are the different types of gambling in Japan?

The types of gambling that can be played in Japan can be divided into four main categories.

  • Online casinos: It allows you to experience the realism of a real land casino through the Internet while also allowing you to read guides and reviews about each online casino, including games and casino bonuses.
  • Public gambling: It is recognized by law, such as horse racing and lotteries.
  • National gambling: It is familiar to many people as a game, such as pachinko.
  • Financial products: such as insurance and stock investments, which seem far from gambling, are said to have originated from gambling.

There are many different types of games, from easy to get-rich-quick games.

Types and Features of Online Casinos in Japan

Online casinos are casino games where you can actually bet money using the Internet. Online casinos are similar to online games, but online casinos are legitimate forms of gambling and are said to have been created around 1994.

Most online casino operators are large, publicly traded companies, and they often sponsor world-famous sports teams or introduce world-famous movies and characters as tie-up games.

There are numerous types of online casino games. In addition, you’ll be able to play against real dealers in a LIVE broadcast from overseas.

Among the various types of gambling that can be played in Japan, the advantage of online casinos is that they can be played easily at any time and place.

Unlike horse racing and pachinko, which have fixed race days and hours of operation, you can play 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, anywhere you have a smartphone or tablet.

In addition, when comparing the rate of return for each type of gambling, online casinos have an overwhelmingly high rate of return of about 97% compared to horse racing (about 76%) and pachinko (about 85%).

In addition, online casinos offer a wide variety of promotions such as cashback and deposit bonuses, which are unique to online casinos and rarely seen in other forms of gambling.

Recommended Online Casinos

Here are some online casinos that offer no deposit bonuses and cashback, as well as recommendations for first-time players.

Vera John Casino (ベラジョンカジノ)

Vera John Casino is one of the most popular online casinos in Japan. It has a wide variety of deposit and withdrawal accounts that allow for easy deposits and withdrawals, and withdrawals are rather fast.

This is an online casino where you will never get bored even if you play for a long time, as there are many Japan-only campaigns. They’ve also won the Gold Medal at the Special Victory Casino Awards for five years in a row, 2016-2020!

Casino Secrets (カジノシークレット)

Casino Secret is a revolutionary casino that was established by a group of experts with many years of experience in the online casino industry. The three main features are “automatic cash back”, “no withdrawal requirements”, and “high probability tournaments”. It is especially recommended for those who want to play casino for a long time at a great price!

Types and characteristics of public gambling

Public gambling is a form of betting that is authorized by law to be conducted by special corporations and local governments. It is also known as public games.

There are four types of public competitions: horse racing, bicycle racing, boat racing, and auto racing. Each of these is governed by laws such as the Horse Racing Law, the Bicycle Racing Law, the Motor Boat Racing Law, and the Small Motor Vehicle Racing Law, and is managed by the respective administrative agencies.

In addition, public lotteries such as “lotteries” and “soccer lotteries” are also a type of public gambling.

Here are some of the types and characteristics of public gambling that are permitted by law.

Horse racing

Horse racing is a sport that originated in the United Kingdom, where jockeys ride horses over a set course and distance to compete for the best finish. It is a popular form of gambling in Japan where you can predict the order of arrival and also bet by buying horse tickets.

There are a total of 10 types of horse tickets and various ways to bet, such as “single winner” to predict the horse that will come in first, and “multiple winners” to guess the horse that will come in third.

It is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.

Cycle racing event, 2km with a paced start and sprint finish

Bicycle racing is a sport that originated in Japan, where cyclists ride bicycles on a banked track and compete for the best finish.

The interesting thing about bicycle racing is that it is not simply a race of speed, but also a strong element of bargaining with your opponent. The players will try to come up with a variety of strategies for the talks.

It was adopted as an official Olympic sport in 2000 and is a professional sport that represents Japan. It is managed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

Boat race

Boat racing is a motorboat competition conducted by professional athletes. There are six boats in the race and each boat is assigned a number and color.

After the start of the race, the riders will make three laps around the course in a left-handed direction to determine their positions. Since there are only six boats, it is easy to predict the order of arrival.

It is managed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.

Auto racing

Auto racing is a competition in which eight motorcycles usually make six laps of a 500-meter race track to determine the order of finish.

It boasts the fastest speed of any public sport, and during the race, you can watch the race while listening to the powerful sound of the engine.

It is managed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

Lottery

The history of lotteries dates back to the Roman era, 2,000 years ago, and is said to be the oldest form of gambling in the world.

In Japan, it is said to have started in the early Edo period (1603-1868) and has been enjoyed by many people since ancient times.

It is now a form of public gambling, and in addition to regular lotteries, there are various other types of lotteries, such as “scratch” lotteries, which pay a dividend if you scrape off a winning number, and “lotto” lotteries, which allow you to select your own numbers.

In addition to operating costs, the proceeds from the lottery are used to pay for public works and other projects that benefit people’s lives.

Managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Sports lottery

The sports lottery was introduced in 2001 with the aim of securing financial resources to implement new sports promotion policies, including the development of an environment where everyone, from children to the elderly, can enjoy sports.

Predict the outcome of a given soccer match and the number of goals scored by each team, and receive a payout if you are correct.

There are many types of betting options, such as “toto,” where you make your own predictions, and “BIG,” where you vote randomly by computer.

It is managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.

Types and characteristics of national gambling

In Japan, the law prohibits all forms of gambling except for public gambling. However, there is also gambling that is not officially called “gambling” but is familiar to many people as “play” such as pachinko.

Here are some of the types and characteristics of national gambling that are played by a wide range of people.

Pachinko and pachislot

Pachinko operates under the Entertainment Establishments Law and is controlled by the police and the Public Safety Commission.

You can borrow balls and medals to play, and the increased balls and medals can be exchanged for special prizes. The special prizes are then exchanged for cash at the prize exchange.

The barter system, known as the “three-point system,” is used to convert money into cash, but it skirts the laws that prohibit the acquisition of cash.

Therefore, although pachinko is in effect “gambling,” it is not officially classified as gambling.

Mahjong

It is a kind of table game that originated in China, and uses special pieces called “tiles”. This is a game where four players gather around a table called a mahjong table and try to score points by arranging the roles.

The harder it is to get the cards to line up, the higher the score and the winner is the one who holds the most points in the end.

Although the rules are complicated in some respects, the game is popular all over the world.

Types and characteristics of financial instruments

Financial products are products handled by banks, insurance companies, securities companies, etc. The most familiar examples are deposits, insurance, and stocks. Other examples include foreign currency investments in FX and virtual currencies such as Bitcoin.

Here are some of the types of financial products and their features.

Insurance

Insurance is a way to prepare for unforeseen events such as illness or injury by collecting a fixed amount of premiums from people who are anxious. And in the event of damage, the system allows you to receive insurance money from the funds raised.

It is said that insurance began during the Age of Discovery when sailors made bets on whether or not their ships would meet with accidents.

The younger and healthier you are, the lower your premiums will be; on the other hand, those with a higher risk of injury or illness will have higher premiums.

In a way, you could view it as a betting odds.

Forex and stock investment

Forex is an abbreviation for “Foreign Exchange”. We invest by focusing on the price fluctuations of world currencies. The appeal of Forex is that you can start with a small amount of money.

Investing in stocks is a way to invest in various companies in order to earn profits such as dividends and shareholder benefits.

It is difficult to discern stock price fluctuations, so it is important to acquire the right knowledge and gather information in detail.

Virtual currency/ Cryptocurrencies

Virtual currency is a currency traded in electronic data and is mainly used for remittance and settlement on the Internet.

Bitcoin and many other types of virtual currencies have emerged. In addition, Bitcoin, which started out at a few yen, is now attracting attention with a price of several million yen.

Frequently Asked Questions on Types of Gambling

What types of gambling are there in Japan?

In Japan, there are three main types of gambling: “public gambling,” such as horse racing and lotteries, which are recognized by law; “national gambling,” such as pachinko, which is enjoyed by many people as a form of entertainment; and “financial products,” such as insurance and stock investment.

Do you have any gambling recommendations?

Comparing the rate of return for each type of gambling, online casinos have a rate of return of about 97% compared to horse racing (about 76%) and pachinko (about 85%). In terms of the rate of return, online casinos have the advantage.

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.

Most Popular Casino Games in Japan

Japan has accepted online casino gaming, and it has been growing in the last few years. The truth is that the market has been growing since then, and this has given room for an increase in the number of sites that offer Japanese friendly gambling services.

While the online gambling laws in the country have remained strict, it does not prevent the fans of online gambling in casinos from enjoying the fun they crave. There are many online casinos that do not fall within the Japanese government’s jurisdiction, which gambling lovers in the country can enjoy games on, because these platforms have successfully found ways of working around the betting regulations in the country to find favourable grounds. The online casino guide 6takarakuji have reviewed all the popular casino games in Japan.

Haven said that it is also good to inform you that it is easy to play games in the regulated and licensed offshore online casino platforms that accept Japanese players without hesitation. This makes it possible for online casino players in japan to have the chance to play and enjoy fun without any qualms about going against the law of the land.

The Most Popular Casinos Games in Japan

One great thing about online casinos is that through them, players get the chance to enjoy the games that they cherish with a single click of the mouse. These sites offer both worldwide favourites and Japanese favourites at the same time, so you are covered if you are here to enjoy online casinos that are Japanese friendly, and with a huge number of games on offer. All you need is to get to casino rank, and you will have a list of them. This saves you a lot of stress and time, as you don’t need to conduct your own research again. From the list, you can jumpstart your online casino experience effectively.

When it comes to the most popular online casino games in the country, the names on the list below take precedence over the others.

Slot Games

This is similar to the Japanese indigenous game named Pachinko, and it is the most popular online game in the country. In every online casino of today, they stand as a staple, and you will find them in their hundreds in the best casinos. They are normally the top-notch real money and free play games found in the best casinos. The slot machines are very easy to play, and you can quickly play them without the need for any special skill. It is interactive and slot lovers will have many to choose from, including different versions like 3D slots, video slots, multiple payline slots, progressive slots, and classic slots.

Baccarat

High rollers in Japan are normally more attracted to baccarat among the table games. They are among the oldest card games ever, and they come with very few rules. The major objective of baccarat is to get the number 9 or the number closest to it. Whenever a player gets 9 or the number nearest to 9 before others, he wins the game. There are several bets that players can choose here, and they include the tie, banker, and player. In the best online Japanese casinos, players will be treated to a lot of baccarat variations including the Baccarat Banque, Chennin De Fer and Punto Banco.

Poker

Many avid casino players in Japan enjoys online poker. In the game of poker, the person with the hands that rank highest after the players have shown their cards at the end of each game wins.  This is not just a game of luck, but of skill too, and that makes it more exciting. Punters can enjoy different variants of poker games in Japan online casinos. The available variants include Razz Poker, Omaha High, and 7 Card Stud Poker, Five Card Draw Poker and Texas Holdem Poker.

Roulette

This is one of the games that come with the highest ease of play, because it is a pure game of luck. This, as expected, places it among the most loved games in Japan online casinos. It is a game where the players predict and bet on the colour or number or the colour and number that the ball will settle on when spun. This is one game that new players are encouraged to start with. It comes in different variants, including the French, European and American versions.

Lottery Games

This could be played very easily, and it pays amazing jackpot prizes. So, online casino fans in japan love it and enjoy playing it. In japan online casinos, the popular games include jumbo lottery, mini lotto, lotto 6, numbers 4, numbers 3 and the scratch cards.

Dragon Tiger

This could be described as the Japanese version of baccarat, and many players in the country like and enjoy the gameplay. The major goal of the players in this game is to wager on the one to win among the available two hands, and they include the tiger and dragon hands. The hand that wins among them is the one that gets the higher card. When you make the guess and it pans out right, you win. It’s as easy as that. But when the two hands end with the same value, you will be given back half the amount you wagered.

Live Dealer Games

The iGaming industry is now buzzing with live dealer games. These are dealt by professional croupiers in the bid to bring in physical casino-like experience to the online casinos. Here, you are dealt authentic roulette balls and wheels and cards are really shuffled. Players can also interact with the croupiers and other players as they wish, and most Japanese casino lovers cherish it.