Japan Betting Sites | 2024 Updated List
For years, Japanese punters have been relegated to very few options when it comes to betting in Japan, unlike what Isle of Man bookmakers have to offer.
The Japanese Penal Code prohibits almost all forms of betting with a couple of exceptions, such as horse racing and lottery-style domestic soccer pools – these events are also the answer to the question on “what can you bet on in Japan?”.
Fans of fixed-odds betting have no real legal options. Online betting in Japan is already quite limited and there are not many Japan bet options for fixed-odds wagers. Instead, they must turn to online betting sites or illegal Japan bookmakers.
- 1Are there legal Japan betting sites?
- 2The summary of online betting Japan
- 3What are the bet sports betting sites and bookmakers in Japan?
- 4Betting laws and Japan bookies
- 5What are the most popular sports in Japan betting sites?
- 6Is online sports betting legal in Japan?
- 7Using a Japan bet app: mobile betting in Japan
- 8Payment methods for Japan betting sites
- 9Are there any sports betting bonuses and free bets for Japanese players?
- 10What to really expect from Japanese bookmakers
- 11FAQ about betting sites in Japan
Top 10 Betting Sites for Japan in 11 October 2024 – Updated List
Are there legal Japan betting sites?
The summary of online betting Japan
To sum it up, sports betting in Japan (including Sumo bookmakers) is considered illegal and Japan bet market is quite limited, but the government allows playing at bookmakers by country from abroad. And if you pick the right websites, placing a bet in Japanese is perfectly possible. Below, you can see a list of the biggest betting sites that offer this option.
So, what are the top 10 betting companies to place a bet on in Japan? You can see all of our picks below. These are the best Japanese betting sites as of 2024 and they offer the best betting bonuses and cover the most sports, while some of these websites are also Sumo bookmakers. In short, if you are from Japan and looking for a safe, legal, and reliable bookmaker to play with, these are your best options. Pick one and start playing today!
What are the best sports betting sites and bookmakers in Japan?
Betting laws for Japan Bookies
According to the Criminal Code of Japan, land-based and online betting is prohibited. However, there are a couple of exceptions to this rule. As of 2024, here is the legal situation of casinos and bookmakers in Japan:
Liberal Democratic Party in Japan is trying to legalize all forms of betting. However, this is a very conservative country, and the majority of society prefers to stay away from legal betting. Ironically, Japan is one of the countries where illegal betting is most common.
The famous Japanese mafia, Yakuza, runs a gambling den on almost every street and offers both casino games and sports betting. Japan’s failure to legalize betting is a big mistake. Organized crime is getting stronger, and the state is denied a large tax revenue.
What are the most popular sports in Japan betting?
Is online sports betting legal in Japan?
Unfortunately for Japanese punters, online sports betting in Japan is illegal. Luckily for these punters, the government seems content to allow it to happen without much interference. While there are banking rules in place that hinder some transactions, the authorities here do little to stop this activity. Online bookmakers are not blocked and players are not punished.
However, as we mentioned above, both land-based and online betting is allowed for public races. The law defines public races as “horse racing, bicycle racing, powerboat racing, and speedway motorcycle racing”. Japan betting sites are legal only for these sports. If you are interested in these sports, including the live betting option, remember that you can find a bookmaker for every region in the world by checking our bookmakers by country lists.
Using a Japan bet app: Mobile betting in Japan
Payment methods for Japan betting sites
Playing on international betting sites in Japan is not restricted in any way, unlike betting sites in Vietnam, which are totally banned by their government. So, it is possible to send (or withdraw) money to international betting sites using the local banking system. (By browsing our guide on currencies of bookmakers, you can see a list of sites that support JPY.) Therefore, you can freely decide which payment methods to use when playing at Japanese betting sites. Our recommendations are:
Are there any sports betting bonuses and free bets for japanese players?
Japanese sports bettors who are looking for great bookmakers and sports betting exchanges that give bonuses have a lot to choose from. 1xBet, Fortune Jack, and 888 Sportswill welcome Japanese customers with free bets of smaller values. Up to €100 in free bonus bets are a cinch to claim at William Hill and X-Bet, while it gets even better at Tornado Bet who will welcome you with up to 350 EUR in bonus bets. Punters are cashing in at Sports Betting with their $1,000 in free bets.
If you are looking to collect some cash bonuses, then you can take advantage of the €20 in cash that Bet Safeand Royal Panda are giving away. How would you like to get $100 cash injection? It’s just a few mouse clicks away at Bet Winner as are the €100 cash bonuses that 18Bet have waiting for you.
Casinia Bet kicks it up a notch by giving you up to €150 while Malina Sports and 1xBit will. Big stacks of money are being tossed your way when you sign up at CloudBet. It is giving you up to 5 BTC in bonus cash. Japanese players can benefit from Melbet sign up offer of 100% up to €100 on their first deposit. Many more great cash and free bet bonuses are found at Gamblingjudge.com. While you are there, be sure to read the extensive bookmaker reviews from other bookmakers, such as Antigua bookmakers, that will help you select the right bookie and the best bonuses.
What to really expect form japanese bookmarkers
PROS
- No taxes for gambling winnings
- Legal betting for exotic sports
- International betting sites are not restricted
CONS
- Online betting is heavily restricted
- There are only a couple of betting sites in Japan
We Picked the Best Japan Betting Sites for You
While there are no top bookmakers in Japan due to local laws, we can still find you the best Japanese betting sites that support JPY as a native currency. You can see a list of them in this article and find more using the search filters on our website. We are dedicated to finding you the best Japan betting sites and we update our content on a regular basis for this reason. Keep visiting us to see the latest online betting and mobile betting sites in Japan and good luck out there!
FAQ about betting sites in Japan
Online casinos are illegal. Japan betting sites are legal only for public races, which include horse racing, bicycle racing, powerboat racing, and speedway motorcycle racing. For any other sports, betting is still illegal.
There are no actual betting sites in Japan. There are a couple of websites that offer limited betting opportunities for the sports we listed above. For this reason, it is impossible to create a list of the best bookmakers in Japan: Such a thing does not exist.
Yes, but only for horse racing, bicycle racing, powerboat racing, and speedway motorcycle racing. There are no Japanese betting sites for other sports. If you want an unrestricted online betting experience, you should play at international betting sites.
No. Casino players and bettors do not pay any taxes for their gambling-related winnings. Land-based casinos pay a 15% monthly tax based on their revenue. Japan players must also pay a 3.000 Yen “entrance fee” when they visit land-based casinos. However, non-resident foreigners do not have to pay this fee.
No. EUR, USD, and GBP are still the primary currencies supported by betting sites. JPY is considered an “exotic” currency and only a couple of bookmakers support it. We recommend checking our list of Japanese betting sites: All sites in that list support JPY.
Due to local laws, it is impossible to get an ideal betting (land-based or online) experience in Japan. Only four sports are allowed, and betting opportunities are extremely limited. However, if you play at international betting sites, you can get lots of options and bonuses.