The Best Betting Sites in Japan – Top Japanese Sportsbooks for 2024

Welcome to the complete guide on the best betting sites in Japan. Throughout this page we will take a look at how to navigate this industry from the perspective of a new player, offering suggestions on the best Japanese sportsbooks for each dimension of the bookmaker experience. Jump to the area of the review most appealing to you now, and discover the Japanese betting sites within each category performing strongest.

Betting bonuses Japan

Top Betting Sites in Japan

  • 🥇 bet365 ✪ Best Betting Site in Japan
  • 🥈 22bet ✪ High Odds for Japanese Bettors
  • 🥉 Casino.me ✪ Top Welcome Bonus Package
  • William Hill ✪ Great Betting Markets

Reviewing the Top Sports Betting Sites in Japan

So what are the best sports betting sites in Japan for the general category you may wonder. Well that is the topic of this opening section. Here we will introduce the brands that have performed best under the broadest set of ranking mechanisms. Each of them offers a fantastic overall sportsbook experience without sacrificing anywhere.

If you’re just starting out with betting, and are looking for a fun place to enjoy the sportsbook experience at quality bookmakers then the table above is a great place to begin. You can review each of the candidates in the table above, we’ve attached a few important statistics and details of the welcome bonus to help guide your decision making.

Every bookmaker in our general top rankings table has proven their inherent quality and legitimacy with sustained high-performance across a series of key areas. In the following sections we will introduce the best Japanese operators within each sub-category of the gambling experience. But for now, if you’re just starting out, we recommend using one of the those listed on the best online betting sites in Japan table.

Best Betting Sites in Japan by Cateogry:
🏆Best Betting Site in Japan bet365
🆕 Top New Betting Site in Japan 22bet
📈 Highest Payout Bookie 22bet
💰 Best PayPal Betting Site William Hill
🎁 Best for Bonuses bet365
⚡ Top Mobile App William Hill
⬆️ Best eSports Betting Website Casino.me
🔝  Best for Live Betting 22bet
Top for Extra Features Casino.me
🔎 Safest Bookmaker William Hill

If you are still unsure as to where you want to open a betting site account, then the following sections will discuss everything you need to know. We dive into a variety of ranking criteria topics, starting out with the availability of sports, then a detailed analysis of several key metrics of performance, before ending with general advice of how to bet with secure and safe bookmakers.

Before we get going into the details of Japan’s best betting sites, it’s worth noting that this website contains a highly-detailed and up-to-date news section. If you’re new to the gambling world and want to gain some better insights into the exact nature of the industry, we thoroughly recommend checking this out if you are unaware of the basic dynamics of sportsbook.

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Best Betting Sites in Japan

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Sports

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Bonus

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Safety & Security

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Gambling Resorts

Payout Levels in Japan

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e-Wallets, Cards and More

Mobile

Japanese Sports Betting Apps

There above you can quickly jump to an area of the review most interesting for your type of gambling. If you want to follow this review in a logical way, then keep scrolling and reading through without using the jump-navigation. By reading through this review you will gain valuable insights and develop a complete understanding of all the tenets of a top sports betting site in Japan.

The Criteria for Finding the Best Online Bookmakers in Japan

The process we use to find the best sports betting sites in Japan follows a simple pattern. We applied the same methodology to the Japanese sports betting sites ecosystem in every country throughout this review series. By utilizing this consistent approach we improve the quality of our results, and provide better insights through comparability, comprehensiveness, and accuracy.

In the following sections you will see in more detail how each of the following criteria greatly contribute to the overall enjoyment of a player betting in this market. There is certainly a lot to be unpacked, and we relish the prospect of guiding new players through the complexities of sports betting. Jump now to an area of the review most important for you, or simply keep scrolling to read through the entire piece.

Sports and Leagues

As with all of our reviews in this series, we begin our investigation into the sports betting sites in Japan with an overview of popular sports markets. The below table is a brief overview of the top six sports being competed in, bet on, and spectated in Japan. In a nation with so much history and a culture that fascinates millions of tourists each year, we take a look at the biggest sports followed in Japan.

Football: Many Talented Players

The Japanese national team have enjoyed profound levels of success on the international football stage. Qualifying for several World Cups and becoming one of the strongest nations in Asia for the sport. Check out our dedicated review of football betting sites here.

Golf: Highly Active at Elite Level

There is a fantastic golf atmosphere in the Japanese peninsula, the country has also produced some phenomenal talent in both the male and female ranking categories over the years. Check out the latest developments in golf betting sites here.

Cycling: Velodrome Kings

There is an enormous love for cycling throughout Japan and the country has almost reinvented the sport within the velodrome. The Keirin is a velodrome racing variant that cycling betting sites often provide markets for.

Olympics: Tokyo 2021 Hosts

The Olympic Games in Tokyo was supposed to take place during the summer of 2020 but unfortunately the coronavirus pandemic postponed it until 2021. It is hoped the event will go ahead and you Olympics betting sites.

Baseball: Home of the Sport

Outside of the United States there is only one other nation on the planet that shares the same love for baseball. The sport of baseball in Japan is widely followed, and the nation has its own domestic league which is regularly featured on baseball betting sites.

eSports: Big Gaming Nation

There are several nations around the world that love eSports, and Japan is certainly at the very top of those lists. The wide-variety of eSport tournaments, professional players, and streamers coming from Japan is testament to their love of gaming and eSports betting.

As you can see from the tables above, there is a large range of sporting options available at Japanese betting site. They are sports that each have an incredible following around the world, and for one reason or another have made their way to the pinnacle of Japan’s betting interests.

The list above is by no means an exhaustive range of all the possible gambling options you can enjoy as a betting customer in Japan. The reality is most operators in the industry will cover every sport with a professional element. What we can differentiate by is the amount of markets and betting options within each sport. Looking closer at this through the lens of customer choice enables us to effectively rank the best performers.

Payout, Odds and Lines at the Best Bookies

Finding the best odds bookmakers should be your main area of interest when searching. Luckily for our readership, we conduct regular and in-depth surveys of the current sportsbook pricing index, taking the results as a means to discover the strongest operators in the global market.

Using our detailed ranking method you will guarantee that discovering the best betting sites in Japan for payout rates is quick and easy. The table of candidates below has been assembled from a brief overview of the market, you can discover some of the best sportsbooks in the world by simply filtering for highest-odds. It remains a useful benchmark for overall platform quality, and there are many positive associated performance improvements associated with operators that consistently deliver on odds levels.

Payout rates are different from sport to sport, they tend to rise in the more niche dimensions of sports betting. Similarly, the online sportsbooks with the highest payouts differ constantly. Customers looking for the best bookmakers’ odds should always consult this table before confirming on where to play. Remaining flexible in your operator selections, and having the ability to switch between multiple platforms is always a great way to get the highest value from your bets.

Betting Offers: Bonuses and Betting Sites Promotions

There are numerous betting offers delivered around the calendar to all types of punters. Whether you’re a new player trying out the sports betting ecosystem for the first time, or if you’re an experienced gambler searching for a bookie that offers recurring betting offers, we’ve got you covered. The table below is an amalgamation of the biggest and most promising bookie offers available at sportsbooks in Japan.

Japanese Betting Site Welcome Bonus Deposit Features Rating Secure Link T&C’s
Up to ¥40,000 on First Deposit 5x 7 days 1.40 5.0/5 Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+
100% Up to ¥10,000 on First Deposit 1x 30 days 1.50 4.9/5 Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+
Up to ¥20000 100% Deposit Match 1x 90 days 1.20 4.8/5 Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+

There are many different types of betting offers that customers can enjoy within Japan. The most basic form of promotion is the welcome offer, and the majority of deals outlined in the table above fall into that category. Other types include bookmakers’ free bets, enhanced odds and weekly free bet clubs. There are numerous possibilities to gain bonuses and rewards by creating an account with one of the operators listed above.

Bonus Category Betting Site
🥇 Best Bonus in Japan 22bet
🥈Best Bonus Japan bet365
🥉 Easy to Claim Casino.me
◻️ Great Welcome Offer William Hill
◻️ Big Payouts 22bet

There are a few documents that are very important to understand when opening a betting account for the first time as a new customer. One of them is the terms and conditions attached to the sportsbook bonus. The specific terms of a deal vary greatly depending on where you bet and which markets you select; but the three most important variables to be aware of are the rollover amount, the qualifying bet criteria and the validity period.

Starting with the premise, the rollover amount dictates how much betting volume you’ll need to complete before releasing bonus funds as cash. Before making a bet for the purpose of fulfilling the rollover requirements, make sure to check the qualifying bet conditions. These will tell you which markets, odds and bet types it is possible to make as a means of fulfilling the rollover conditions of a betting websites.

Lastly, be aware of the validity period attached to any deal that you decide to embark on. There are numerous pitfalls when it comes to this, and not completing all the conditions of a betting bonus in the time allocated is one of the most common methods of failure when new players take on Japanese betting sites promotions.

Type of Bets

There are numerous bet types that are integrated into the world’s biggest sportsbook platforms. The purpose of a bookmaker is to offer customers the catalogue of possible betting varieties. The best sportsbooks in Japan completely embody this responsibility, and work tirelessly to ensure that their selection of available markets is comprehensive, and covers the entirety of all gambling dimensions on any given fixture.

Choosing the bet you want to make is far from easy however, but there are in fact several tools that we have at our disposal to help make this as streamlined as possible. One such method is to browse the fixture list, and use the directory navigation menus within each match – this will allow you to quickly navigate through hundreds of bet types filtered by category. Check the table below to see the most popular bet types in Japan.

The markets listed in the table above are merely a snapshot of what is possible when gambling at Japanese betting sites in Japan. Of course, the nearest opportunity to bet may not feature these exact markets, as this list above is far from an exhaustive list of all the possibilities. But what we can guarantee is that when playing with one of the betting sites in Japan listed on this page, you’ll get tons of different bet types to choose from.

Safety and Security

When selecting a betting site to play with, there are very few metrics that can come close in terms of importance as the safety and security experienced by the customers. Just like you, we only look to work with the safest online betting sites in the country. But how do we assess this vital metric, and what can you look out for when choosing a new betting site? We explain all that and more in this section of the Japanese sports betting site review.

There are two main areas to focus on when it comes to the security and integrity of a sportsbook. First of all we have to consider the general data security mechanisms in place at the betting site, is the network secured, does the company abide by GDPR, and do they exhibit best practices when it comes to platform security penetration testing.

Safety Partners at Online Sports Betting Sites in Japan

Licensing and security are at the heart of what it means to be a trusted betting site. In Japan the rules on gambling are strict, and we cannot speak for every operator active in this region, but the general consensus from our research is that this is a country that has a very safe and legitimate ecosystem of online gambling platforms.

Top Data Safety and Encryption Companies
  • DigiCert
  • Entrust Datacard
  • GoDaddy
  • Comodo
  • GeoTrust
  • GlobalSign
  • RapidSSL
Responsible Gambling Organizations
  • IBAS
  • Responsible Gaming Council
  • National Council on Problem Gambling
  • International Centre for Responsible Gambling
  • GambleAware
  • eCOGRA

When we talk about trusted sports betting site, and companies that are doing business in the right way, we are specifically talking about responsible gambling. In the modern age there is a distinct responsibility of the betting company to deliver safe betting experiences for their players. This involves technology systems to recognize risky behavior and mitigate it before it becomes an uncontrollable problem.

To better understand for yourself whether or not to trust the services of a particular betting site, it’s always recommended to check out which organizations they are in partnership with. The minimum expectation is that they hold an operating license from a region with gambling safeguards in place. You can rest assured that all sites referenced on this page are in complete compliance with all the best practices aforementioned.

Bet on Mobile with the Best Sports Betting App

The mobile betting ecosystem is one of the most prominent in all of global betting, more and more customers are visiting these applications to fulfill their gambling needs than ever before. There are many fantastic Japanese betting apps currently available, both on iOS and Android. Each one comes complete with an impressive technology stack, exciting unique features and lucrative bonuses to kick off for new players.

When evaluating the strength of a bookmaker app it’s important to look holistically at the company, as well as the specific features of the mobile platform. In the table below you can see what we define as the best sports betting app in Japan. Each of the options listed below accounts for a great deal of the most popular bookie apps in Japan.

Top Japanese Betting Apps

Overall, it must be said that most of the best mobile betting sites in Japan are those that feature the highest in our general ranking. There are a few exceptions to this, and we have been able to narrow-down our specific performance criteria to incorporate the responsiveness of the interface, the ability for rapid bet placement, and ease of navigation through the app menus.

Live Betting & Live Streaming

The live betting arena is undoubtedly the most exciting part of the bookmaker experience thanks to years of technological innovation and investment. Countries like Japan embody this spirit, and gamblers in this country have become accustomed to dealing with the best platforms in the world.

The table below is the definitive subset of the best live sports betting sites currently available in Japan. Each of them has a fantastic range of features and extra integrations to help make your gambling experience in the live arena as fruitful as possible. Try one out for yourself by hitting the links in the table below.

Live Betting Site Welcome Bonus Live Features Rating Secure Link T&C’s
Up to ¥40,000 on First Deposit 230+ No Yes 5.0/5 Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+
100% Up to ¥10,000 on First Deposit 200+ Yes Yes 4.9/5 Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+
100% Up to ¥30,000 on First Deposit 120+ No Yes 4.8/5 Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+

There are many elements to a live betting platform, and specific features that separate the mediocre from the true greats. Things such as live streaming and cash out are at the pinnacle of what it means to offer a premium gambling experience across the live arena. If you’re looking for live betting sites that fulfil all of these requirements and more, look no further than the coveted list of candidates in the table above.

Payment Methods at Japanese Betting Sites

There are many other important variables to consider when choosing which operator to open an account with. Payment methods used for making deposits and withdrawals at the sportsbook vary significantly, but the best sports betting site in Japan utilize a wide range of bank, e-wallets, and alternative payment options.

To find the most popular payment methods currently in use throughout Japan you should look no further than the table of options detailed below. Japanese punters love to gamble on sports, but transferring money to and from the sportsbook is something that this country has taken to new heights. With plenty of variety, huge transaction limits and rapid processing times; this betting ecosystem really is one of the best when it comes to banking at the betting site.

Payment Method Type Deposit Limits Deposit/Withdrawal Payment Fee
Debit Card JPY1000 – JPY3,000,000 Available for Deposits / Available for Withdrawals No Fees
Credit Card JPY1000 – JPY3,000,000 Available for Deposits / Not Available for Withdrawals No Fees
eWallet JPY2000 – JPY1,500,000 Available for Deposits / Available for Withdrawals No Fees
eWallet JPY1000 – JPY1,500,000 Available for Deposits / Available for Withdrawals 1.0% – 1.0%
eWallet JPY1000 – JPY2,000,000 Available for Deposits / Available for Withdrawals 1.0% – 1.0%
Crypto JPY3000 – JPY1,000,000 Available for Deposits / Not Available for Withdrawals No Fees
eWallet JPY1500 – JPY500,000 Available for Deposits / Available for Withdrawals No Fees

Every bookie in the world will offer its own unique package of experiences, and you cannot resolve all the needs of a punter into one specific payment method, that’s why we place a lot of value on operators able to extend this traditional approach to sportsbook curation. Look at the table above and see for yourself the wealth of payment method options you can utilize on mobile and desktop with top Japanese sportsbooks.

PayPal Betting

PayPal betting is at the forefront of the fintech-gambling movement. As the internet’s most trusted money transfer mechanism, many individuals and businesses rely on PayPal for their money processing. Betting sites in Japan are widely supportive of PayPal, and incorporate it within their banking options. See below our top pick operator in this country for PayPal deposits.

Hopa and PayPal logos
Top PayPal Bookie
  • Fast and secure
  • Big limits on transactions
Welcome Bonus €10
Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+

We can go into a wide-variety of reasons why PayPal is the most trusted method for betting online, but the truth is that efficiency is the main benefit. With this payment option you simply need your email address and log in password to make payments. Never mind entering your card details into every sportsbook you do bets with, as this is the quickest and simplest tool for moving money in-and-out the betting wallet.

The Website Functionality

Scanning back to one of the more qualitative ranking mechanisms in modern sportsbook gambling is the functionality of the platform. One of the most identifiable and instantly recognizable aspects of a modern sportsbook is the quality of engineering worked into building the site. This includes speed of the website, the absence of bugs, navigation and many other desirable features that lead to an overall efficient and enjoyable experience for the customer.

It’s not necessarily something that will affect your bankroll as a customer, because some of the most lucrative gambling platforms are built without much funding, and don’t exhibit the best functionality. But if you’re a lower-stakes player more interested in an enjoyable gambling experience, then this will certainly be an area of the ranking important to you.

Extra Features

As the industry becomes increasingly more competitive and bookmakers fight desperately for larger market share, customers are introduced to more creative and innovative features. Some fantastic implementations in recent years include live streaming, cash out, live scores, statistics portals and virtualized betting markets. Always pay close attention to the newest developments in extra features to understand what is possible at the pinnacle of modern sportsbook gambling.

In the table below we have laid out all the newest and most popular features available to Japanese betting customers. Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but is a great overview of the current range of extra features currently on offer at online betting sites in Japan.

Betting Site Live Streaming Cashout Livescore Fast Bet Virtual Sports
No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Yes Yes Yes No Yes

In your own sportsbook endeavors you may encounter a features list far greater than what we have listed here. But for the majority of users you’ll be faced with this small group of features. In our general ranking, we levied the impact of extra features into the overall customer experience. Therefore, if you’re looking for the Japanese sportsbook platforms with the best range of features, simply refer to the list at the top of this page.

The Customer Service

There is a lot of reason to pay attention to sportsbooks with great customer service, it is indicative of a broader set of qualities that are difficult to quantify in a ranking table. Many of the top sports betting sites have something in common, that’s a sense of trust between the customer and bookmaker that every bet they make will be handled in a proper and legitimate way. This trusting relationship is established in part through great and efficient customer service.

To get a better idea of what customer support options are available to you, we’ve created the table below. Each of the four contact methods are listed below, with a description of the response times and frequency of their availability.

Contact Method Availability at Japanese Sportsbooks Response Time Usually Available
☎️ Telephone Common Up to 20 Minutes 12 hours a day
📧 E-Mail/Contact Form Common Up to 24 Hours 24/7
👩‍⚕️ Live Chat Common Up to 20 Minutes 12 hours a day
💬 Messenger Common Up to 20 Minutes 12 hours a day
🌐 Social Networks Common Up to 40 Minutes 24/7

Check out the table above, each of the customer support options have their expected wait times, and availability. If you are in need of support at the betting site platform, just make your way through the starting point of customer service journey, for immediate answers it’s always better to click on live chat. If your question or complaint is long-winded in nature, it’s better to send an email.

The Sportsbook Reputation

The reputation of the sportsbook is pivotal to understanding how well they treat their customers, and deliver on the core functionality required by a big international sportsbook operator. Neglecting the reputation of betting sites in your selection process is never a good idea, as reputation are thoroughly earned and indicative of past performance.

In order to gain a 360 degree understanding of the reputations of each sportsbook in this series, we had a long look at social media, local news and the previous experiences of betting customers. Amalgamating all of these different sources of information allowed us to weigh in the impact of bookmaker reputations in Japan to construct our over list of top general betting sites.

How to Open an Account at Japanese Bookmaker

Opening an account with a betting site is and has always been one of the easiest parts of the process. Betting operators invest hundreds of hours into making sure all your work is complete from bugs and version control errors. To discover the ease of the sign-up process at the best online betting site in Japan, look no further than the table below.

1
Choose a Betting Site

There are many betting sites to choose from as we have outlined throughout the page. Select one that you like the look of.

2
Register Your Details

Next step is to register an account with the operator, simply complete the necessary registration forms.

3
Confirm Identity

Confirm your identity with the sportsbook by sending a photocopy of your ID, this is in order to begin processing withdrawals.

Opening an account with a betting site in Japan is relatively simple, you just need to process some personal information and then follow up with the platform to confirm that your details are verifiable. Every bookie operating in this market will have an excellent approach to their sportsbook account creation process, and it is designed to be as simple and carefree as possible.

eSports: CS:GO Betting Sites & More

There are numerous reasons to get started with eSports betting sites, not only because this is a sub-type of gambling with the most exciting range of betting opportunities, but because the future of the industry will likely revolve around innovations being made within this market.

The table below is representative of the CS:GO betting sites offering customers the biggest welcome bonuses, as well as offering the most secure and high-quality experience on the betting platform once the action begins. There are many great titles to be enjoyed when playing at these websites, and you can experience the thrill and variation of top eSports from League of Legends to FIFA.

eSports Betting Site Welcome Bonus Highlights Rating Secure Link T&C’s
Up to ¥16,000 on First Deposit 13+ 93.25% 5.0/5 Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+
100% Up to ¥10,000 on First Deposit 7+ 94.82% 4.9/5 Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+
100% Up to ¥20,000 on First Deposit 7+ 93.75% 4.8/5 Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+

If you’re still unsure about eSports betting as a general activity, or are yet to truly experience the wealth of opportunities that can be immediately derived from this activity, then you should jump now to one of the fantastic platforms listed in the table above. You will instantly recognize how different they are from traditional sportsbooks.

The Regulation of Sports Betting in Japan & the Gambling Environment

Understanding the regulatory environment experienced by the best sports betting site in Japan is important for new players to grasp. As Japan sits in a legal grey zone with respect to online betting and gambling services, there are a few additional workarounds that residents must be aware of before engaging with the operators.

In the upcoming paragraphs we will delve into the exact nature of the sports betting legality in Japan. There are a few important points we can preliminarily mention, that is that Japan has no formal online betting legislation. Land-based gambling facilities are widely-available across the country to tourists and foreigners, and many offshore online gambling platforms exist and operate at a highly-professional capacity.

Gambling Commission & License

Legal Sports Betting & Gambling in Japan
🎰 Fixed Odds Betting Terminals 5,200
📑 Betting Shops 170
🏛️ Land-Based Casinos 23
💻 All Licensed Sportsbooks 32+
🏆 Best-Rated Safe Betting Sites Our Picks

Gambling sits in a legal grey area in Japan, land-based gambling is allowed but only to tourists and individuals of dual-nationality. Whilst online casinos have a difficult time getting an operating license in this country, many offshore providers are well-situated to handle the demand from customers living in Japan.

Of course, we are only interested in online betting sites legal in Japan, and for that you will have to look at some of the integrated resorts and their in-house online betting sportsbooks. To use one of these platforms you’ll need to be registered with the integrated resort, and be officially recognized as not holding a Japanese passport.

If you’re looking for a reliable way to gamble that is safe and carries much less of the fuss associated with the integrated resorts projects, simply look for the sports betting site in Japan offering users easy access to offshore betting capabilities. Customers around the world living in tightly controlled betting regions often utilize this tactic, and it has become widely-recognized as a legitimate means of gambling online.

The bullet points below allude to some of the licensed operators currently in use throughout Japan. Of course, we are more interested in the legal sport betting sites available throughout this region. Although many of these platforms are not hosted within Japan, you can rest-assured that their quality is guaranteed, as the region they are hosted in upholds the highest standards for its gambling operators.

The Safest Online Betting Sites with a Valid Japan License

Have a look over the list above and you should get a strong idea of what is currently available for betting on in Japan. The truth is this country take a progressive approach to the majority of gambling’s issues, if you feel like there is still some area we haven’t explored with regards to licensing and legality of sports betting in Japan, we would refer you to the FAQs section at the bottom of this article.

Websites to Avoid

When using the services of an online betting site, it’s important to always be aware that there are numerous rogue operators out there in the wild that are best off being totally avoided. Customers are constantly being burnt by these lesser-quality services, with their exuberant marketing strategies, and then completely failing to deliver on a series of key platform promises.

We are always on the lookout for new and secure platforms to add to our tables of recommended operators, but oftentimes on this journey we encounter numerous platforms that are simply better off being avoided. If you’re worried about being scammed at a sportsbook or just want to avoid the risk of a bad betting experience, the list of operators below have been blacklisted by us and we thoroughly recommend avoiding them.

Many of the brands listed here in the table above don’t operate in the correct way. Either they haven’t actually received an operating license from a recognized gambling jurisdiction, or they have exhibited a series of character traits that can definitively place them in a category the complete opposite of a trusted betting site.

History and Future

Writing about the historical development of Japanese gambling laws is an important part of our review series. In this last section of the article we discuss how the legal framework of betting and wider-gambling has evolved in Japan over the years. This country has a rich and diverse history, and has a cultural export value that far exceeds many of the other nations in Asia.

If you want to better understand how the age-old activity of betting has developed and evolved in Japan over the years, then simply look at the table below for the ultimate insights. There are numerous milestones to discuss here, and several of the key developments on the Japanese gambling timeline have been annotated with a brief description of the event in more detail.

History of Japanese Sports Betting Laws & Acts
  • Card Games Popularity Surges In the 1920s the popularity of card and dice games began to skyrocket, fans from around the country began to congregate in areas and an industry started to develop. Because of this surge in popularity the Japanese government had to make a regulatory market watchdog.
  • Corinth Game Arrives in Japan As the population of Japan became increasingly infused by the excitement of the Corinth Game. The game was very similar to the classic English game Bagatelle, and was being imported to the country via a Chicago-based merchant company.
  • Rock-Paper-Scissors Gambling In 2010, the owner and founder of a Rock-Paper-Scissors online gambling app was arrested and charged. He later admitted to earning over $1M with the illegal gambling operation.
  • 12,480 Pachinkos in Japan As of 2011 there are 12,480 Pachinkos in Japan. These venues can be found all over Japan, they are run by private companies and exploit a legal loophole in the gambling law to enable customers to exchange vouchers for real money, in order to enable betting.
  • Gambling Law Alteration Parliament has been teasing with the idea to alter the country’s gambling law, but is yet to commit to a defined schedule. With lack of clarity on direction, the gambling industry in Japan is subject to sweeping new laws.
  • Pachinkos Gross $200bln The Pachinko revolution is truly moving at break-neck speed. Nearly half of all leisure time in Japan is now being spent at some kind of entertainment venue like a Pachinko parlor.

The nation of Japan has a long and cultured past, the roots of betting and gaming are deeply planted in the country’s leisure industry. The humble beginnings of gambling in this country remains one of the biggest driving forces in its success, and many bettors around the world flock to Japan each and every year to experience the modern-twist on this cultural spirit.

We are always evaluating are history timeline of each country in this review series, if something changes with regards to the accuracy or relevance of a certain point we will swiftly change and rectify it. Keep scrolling to discover our final recommendations on the best operators to play with at each gambling category in Japan.

Betting in Japan: Progressive and Technologically Advanced

In general, the betting ecosystem in place throughout Japan is progressive. The country is developing some of the world’s most extravagant integrated resorts – a super-plex hotel and casino all under one roof. Besides that, there are numerous betting opportunities at the Pachinko parlors across the country, and many available betting site in Japan facilitate the biggest and best global sportsbook markets.

Opening an account with one of the sportsbooks listed in the table below would be your best bet when starting out. Each of those recommended is considered to be the strongest option for each of the betting category subtypes. Keep scrolling down and you will discover our general top ranking, which incorporates weighted elements from every topic we’ve discussed in this article.

Overview of the Best Online Sportsbooks in Japan 2024:

These recommendations are certainly not static, and we are constantly evolving our ranking list of betting sites to include the very best gambling options. Our sports betting sites reviews on Japan receive regular audits so do check back again with us in the future to see how this market develops. If you’re interested to read more information on other fringe topics in this article, keep scrolling for the FAQs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here we arrive at the section of this Japanese betting sites information article where we discuss other queries and concerns communicated to us from our readers. If you’re still unsure about a certain topic raised in this article, keep reading below for the FAQs that have been answered by our reviewers.

🥇 What are the best betting sites in Japan?

There are many top betting sites available throughout Japan. Check at the top and bottom of this article and you’ll discover the general bookmaker rankings for Japan.

🏆 What betting offers can I find at Japanese sportsbooks?

It makes sense to pay attention to the betting offers in Japan as a new customer because there are so many available. You have free-reign to choose between bonus offers, free bets, enhanced odds, and many other creative promotions.

⚖️ Is betting legal in Japan?

Betting is legal in Japan, with a few exceptions and restrictions. The sports betting regulation currently in place allows for many land-based opportunities, but online betting remains in a legal grey zone in Japan.

💳 Is PayPal betting possible in Japan?

You’ll be able to enjoy betting using PayPal whilst using bookmakers in Japan. Thankfully the world’s most popular eWallet is widely available here.

🔍 Are there any new betting sites you can recommend?

Using the services of new betting sites means that you can easily stay agile in your bookmaking approach, taking advantage of differences in odds levels and capturing many lucrative new customer offers.

😎 Is live betting possible in Japan?

As is the case with many well-developed and modern gambling markets, in-play betting in Japan is completely possible. In fact, you’ll have access to numerous high-quality live arenas, both land-based and online.

👌 What is the best sport betting app I can download in Japan?

There are numerous high-quality mobile betting platforms available across the world, and the good news for Japan is that these top sports betting apps are widely integrated into the Japanese sportsbook ecosystem.

🏤 Is it possible to bet on elections?

Novelty betting markets such as elections, the weather, TV shows and virtual sports are all available at top Japanese bookies.