9 Officers of Japan’s Hyogo Prefectural Police Suspected of Gambling in Online Casinos

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:16 JST, December 20, 2025

The Hyogo prefectural police have sent papers to prosecutors pertaining to nine prefectural police officers suspected of gambling in online casinos, sources close to the investigation said.

All suspects are young males, aged in their thirties or younger. In response, the prefectural police plan to impose disciplinary action.

The sources said that the nine officers allegedly used smartphones to access overseas online casino sites from within Japan to place bets.

One of the officers habitually gambled and accumulated large debts, according to the sources.