2 Charged with Abetting ¥70 Bil. in Online Gambling Bets, in Japan’s 1st Crackdown on Casino Advertising Site

Kyosuke Murakami and Kota Hayashi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

6:00 JST, September 26, 2025

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of running a website promoting an online casino based overseas and facilitating illegal gambling, as well as for abetting habitual gambling. Claiming “guaranteed wins,” the website operators are believed to have attracted about 670 customers over about four years. In exchange for facilitating bets totaling about ¥70 billion, the two allegedly received substantial commissions from the casino.

Investigations by the Gifu Prefectural Police uncovered the illegal business involving collusion with overseas operators for profits.

“Win ¥50,000 worth of points weekly in lotteries.” This advertisement was carried on the site “Onkaji Hissho,” run by Hisato Yonezawa, a 40-year-old company executive from Osaka, and the other defendant. They are suspected of encouraging people to register at an online casino based in Curacao.

According to investigating sources, the defendants concluded an “affiliate agreement” with the casino around 2021. They explained how to play at the casino and “winning strategies” on their site, earning commissions by directing customers to the casino, the sources added.

Under an affiliate agreement, site operators promote products or services via blogs or videos and then receive commissions from advertisers based on the results. Online casinos pay affiliates a fixed amount based on such factors as “losses” or “bets placed” by customers who come via the promotional site.

The accused used Discord, a social media platform popular with young people, to create a group chat called “Onkaji Hissho club.” They allegedly advertised that they would give more specific strategies for winning for a ¥10,000 membership fee, and pulled in about 300 members.

Police believe about 670 individuals introduced by the defendants sent cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, totaling about ¥70 billion to the casino as wagers for games like slots and blackjack.

This case marks the first crackdown in Japan on a site advertising for an online casino. The police particularly focused on the defendants’ tactics for allegedly attracting and retaining casino customers.

In past cases involving gambling promotion by video streamers, the influencer’s reward was often determined by the amount the customer lost at the casino. However, in the latest case, the defendants are suspected of signing a “bet share” contract with the casino, receiving commissions based on how much the customers they referred wagered. To gain customers’ trust, they reportedly stressed that their site was “completely different from others” and that they “only provide useful information,” and also said that when customers won, they benefitted too.

“No customer ultimately wins at online casinos. Only the operators and related businesses profit,” said a senior police official. “Even casino sites legally operated overseas will be targeted in crackdowns if they advertise to Japanese audiences and encourage gambling. Do not enter advertising contracts with casino operators.”