Reportedly, an increase in the number of illegal casinos in the Minami entertainment district has been marked. According to certain reports in domestic media, some venues in the above-mentioned entertainment district currently offer a variety of gambling options, including online casinos, as well as illegal casino-style games such as baccarat and slots, with the illegal activities often masked under the operation of so-called gaming cafés.
Internet casinos seem to be among the most popular forms of gambling primarily due to their convenience. Usually, such gambling options are hidden in rooms marked as “Members Only”, and customers get access to a computer with its screen showing them their balance depending on the amount they paid to the casino receptionist earlier. Players are provided with the opportunity to place their bets on traditional casino games, such as baccarat and roulette.
Such gambling venues usually require players to present a health insurance card or a business card. Reportedly, such measures are taken by illegal gambling den operators to make sure that customers are not police officers who come to investigate undercover.
As revealed by the Prefectural Police of Osaka, the number of Internet casinos has increased over the past few years. According to a source close to the matter, such dens were not expensive to operate due to the fact that they do not require special facilities to be established or many employees, which on the other hand was one of the main reasons why they their number has risen lately.
Police Trying to Clamp Down Illegal Internet Casinos
For the time being, the so-called Internet casinos are not legal on the territory of Japan. As reported by The Mainichi, a senior local gang member revealed that Internet casinos turned out to be a successful business, with their number in Minami hard to be tracked. He further revealed that crime syndicates which operate such gambling dens move casino locations once every couple of months in order to prevent investigative authorities from detecting them.
Over the past few years, the number of people who have been involved in illegal gambling operations has increased in Osaka Prefecture. Some casinos have registered sales amounting to no less than ¥200 million in a period of about a year and a half. The local Police has been trying to stop the operation of such illegal Internet casinos.
Recently, Japan has been focused on expanding its gambling market by giving the green light to land-based casinos in an attempt to attract more foreign visitors. According to preliminary-shared expectations, Japanese casino industry could become a flourishing sector that could add to the country’s economy, especially when established as part of larger integrated resorts.
As Casino Guardian has already reported, the ruling party and its coalition partner managed to lately reach an agreement that integrated casino resorts would be established in a total of three locations on the territory of the country, with cities of Tokyo and Yokohama being rumoured as the most likely locations for the first casinos.
- Author
Daniel Williams
