Six Japanese comedians investigated for igaming accusations

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Six comedians from the Japanese entertainment agency Yoshimoto Kogyo are being accused of gambling on igaming platforms. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department sent papers to public prosecutors on Thursday.

Igaming through offshore operators is illegal in Japan. A recent report from the National Police Agency estimated that more than 3 million Japanese residents engaged in offshore gambling, amounting to JPY1.2 trillion (US$8.16 billion)1 JPY = 0.0068 USD
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The comedians being investigated by the Metropolitan Police, including Dai Yoshimoto, one-half of the comedy duo Daitaku, and Yuichi Ohara, another member of the comedy duo Danbiramucho, have admitted to the charges.

According to the Japan Times, the Metropolitan Police Department started investigating comedians from Yoshimoto Kogyo this year after receiving an anonymous tip.

The investigation uncovered that the comedians accessed various offshore platforms between January 2023 and December 2024, including the igaming site Sportsbet.io. They also admitted to playing casino-style games like baccarat or blackjack at online casinos when traveling for work.

The police department also revealed that some of the comedians confessed to being influenced by YouTube videos, believing that they would not be committing a crime. Some admitted to borrowing money from their company or friends, with one admitting that they had wagered up to JPY51 million (US$347,000)1 JPY = 0.0068 USD
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Yoshimoto Kogyo announced in February that police had investigated some of their entertainers, who have since been told to refrain from all entertainment-related activities.