TOKYO - Japanese gambling laws are quite prohibitive and only permit the following gambling methods: sports betting on horse racing, bicycle racing, motorbike racing and motorboat racing; the lottery, mahjong, pachinko and the new pachislo. A poll was taken recently of the countries with the highest total number of gambling machines in the world. Out of the globe’s gambling Mecca’s, Japan came up in spot number 2.

According to the survey there’s a gambling machine for every 26 people in Japan, a country with a massive population of over 127.4 million. For a country with such restrictive gambling laws, the numbers seem somewhat contradictory, but it’s a fact – Japan is one of the world’s most gambling nations. Local governments regulate the industry and make a massive profit. 

The newly introduced pachislo machines offer the Japanese a game very similar to the slots that gamblers play in America (which are illegal in Japan). The only differences between pachislo and traditional slots are the following: an LCD screen, a “skill stop” rather than an automatic stop, a spin knob instead of a handle, and predetermined payout for jackpots. 

Because pachislo features a skill stop, it is considered a game of skill instead of chance, and is therefore legal. Outside of these machines and the other gambling methods permitted by law, the only other option available to citizens is internet gambling in Japan.

Online casinos in Japan are plentiful and offer lots of gambling opportunities to nationals. At online casinos the Japanese can enjoy a wide selection of games that are unavailable in their country. Because these sites are hosted in countries where online gambling is legal, the Japanese government has no jurisdiction over them.

(Gaming Zone)