Tokyo police arrest 12 in online gambling raid
Police in Tokyo have arrested twelve people as the crackdown on illegal online gambling in the country continues.
According to NHK, the arrests were made at a shop called RIZIN, in the Kabukicho entertainment district of Tokyo. Reports said that the shop facilitated illegal igaming using overseas gambling sites.
Five of the people arrested were employees of the shop, and the remaining seven were customers.
According to information released by investigators, the shop was offering people the chance to play games like baccarat for real money. Online gambling of any kind is illegal in Japan, wherever the operator or gambling platform is based.
Local reporting indicates that the authorities seized at least 20 computers from the premises and that the data obtained suggested the operation had a customer base of over 5,000. It has also been reported that the employees have admitted the charges.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police have confirmed that they are continuing to investigate what they believe could be a wider network.
These arrests are the latest incident in a broader trend, as Japanese authorities take increasingly robust action to crack down on the rise of illegal gambling establishments.
Over the last few months, Japanese officials have tightened restrictions on online gambling, banning overseas promotional content for offshore casinos. The Japanese Foreign Ministry has also asked various countries to stop advertising online casinos to Japanese residents.
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Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
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