Best Betting Sites in Japan

Japan is one of the Asian countries where gambling is widely embraced and accepted, even if technically illegal. Fortunately, loopholes in Japanese law allow bettors to punt via offshore bookies. This article will explore those loopholes and highlight the best international betting sites in Japan for sports betting and casino. You will learn all details needed. Let’s start!

List of the Best Bookmakers in Japan

The best bookmakers in Japan include:

Top Betting Sites in Japan Ranked

1. 1xbit – Best Japanese crypto bookie
2. 22bet – Awesome odds payouts in place
3. Pinnacle – Best bookie for sports betting
4. Megapari – Top promotions and bonuses
5. Fortune Jack – Crypto casino and sportsbook
6. Stake.com – Great in-house games and eSports specials
7. 10bet – Favourite brand among players in Japan

Japan’s TOP Bookies Reviewed

As the best betting sites in Japan for 2024, a short introductory review and list of pros and cons are provided below.

1xbit

1xbit is a cryptocurrency betting site that offers coverage for more than 30 markets. The features players can use include live streaming, esports, casino, lottery, financials, and virtual sports. The sportsbook offers strong odds, flexible betting markets, and a choice of six odds formats. Likewise, it offers coverage of international events and a finely tuned Bet Constructor feature.

22bet

Our next entry is an award-winning betting site that opened in 2017. 22bet offers player-intuitive features, excellent odds, and coverage for 30+ markets. 22Bet includes pre-match, live, and fixed odds betting as part of its sports coverage. Bettors have access to detailed statistics, post-match results, 24/7 support, and player-friendly payment methods.

Pinnacle

This brand was established in 1998 and has been a staple supplier of sports entertainment to Japanese punters. The bookie regularly features more than 1,000 events and includes live betting and other betting features. The cash out feature, esports betting, and virtual sports rank highly with Japanese punters. Another highly rated punting feature with Pinnacle is its superior odds, margins, and casino betting platform.

MegaPari

MegaPari is known as one of the best sites for betting in Japan. It is a reliable betting partner to more than 25 internationally popular sports markets. Along with their sports coverage, MegaPari’s popularity is strengthened by its status as an excellent casino.

FortuneJack

FortuneJack is a superior destination for sports-savvy Japanese bettors. It offers hundreds of daily events for pre-match and live betting. Customers enjoy generous betting odds, multiple odds formats, and alternative gaming solutions. The areas where Fortunejack excels include horse racing, dice games, online casino, and live casino.

Stake.com

This is one of the fastest-growing betting sites in Japan. Stake offers an abundance of sports betting options, including pre-match and live betting. With player-friendly menus and a conveniently located side menu, punters can select from more than 25 sports types. Likewise, they can navigate to the Stake.com casino, where they will find thousands of games, a live casino, and Stake exclusives.

10bet

10bet Japan features live sports betting, casino, esports, and live casino gaming along with its pre-match sports events. All contributing factors to its success, its multiple odds formats, competitive odds, and betting options strengthen its appeal.

How We Rank the Top Japanese Bookies

After introducing the best betting sites in Japan, it is important to explain how we rank the top Japanese bookies. Used in conjunction with our pre-existing knowledge, we consider the following:

• Licensing – A bookmaker being licensed by a reputable gaming authority is critical to its ability to deliver a safe gaming platform. All of our top Japanese bookies are licensed and meet acceptable safety and privacy standards.
• Betting markets – The number of betting markets a bookie has available to punters often defines its value. The lack thereof limits a punter’s options and limits the profitability potential a bookie can offer. All our top Japanese bookies offer hundreds of betting markets.
• Payment Methods – Payment methods are critical when it comes to delivering flexibility for most players. Considering the legalities of betting in Japan, the bookies in our list offer multiple flexible payment methods. Many include cryptocurrencies as well as traditional payment methods.
• Brand Reputation – A brand’s reputation is a criterion often overlooked but one that carries the utmost importance. Therefore, we thoroughly investigate a brand’s reputation and cross-check to ensure they are trustworthy and regulatory compliant.

Japan Gambling Industry at a Glance

Japanese gambling laws allow for casino gaming, sports betting, fantasy, and lotteries in terms of land-based betting. Unfortunately, its laws only extend those liberties to online sports betting, fantasy betting, and lotteries.

• Currency: Japanese Yen
• Population: 123.553.200 million
• Active Players: Unknown
• Designated Authority: Japanese Casino Regulatory Authority
• Regulated Gambling Products: Casino, poker, bingo, sports, fantasy and lotteries
• Types of Operators: Land-based, offshore operators

Did you know that?

• The most popular game in Japan is Pachinko – The average Japanese punter wagers an estimated 85,000 yen on Pachinko at its more than 200+ Pachinko parlours.
• In order to gamble in Japan, you must be 18 years or older – Like other Asian countries, Japan has strict age restrictions as a measure to prevent underage gambling.
• Most online bookmakers and casinos accept the Japanese yen – Along with accepting the Japanese yen, many offer Japanese as a language option.

First Steps to Betting in Japan

Japanese bettors need to follow some simple rules. The first of those is to read our step-by-step guide for betting in Japan, as this will help you understand the process.

1. Begin by selecting from our list of top 7 bookmakers in Japan.
2. Register an account, select a payment method and fund your account.
3. Navigate to the sportsbook and choose a sports market.
4. After viewing the odds, select your desired betting market.
5. Enter the amount you wish to wager.
6. Click “Submit” to register your bet.

Overview of Online Gambling in Japan

Online gambling in Japan is a somewhat open yet restrictive environment. Japanese laws legalise betting at land-based establishments, but prohibit it in the digital form. On the same scale, the law allows punters to wager on sports events, fantasy sports freely, and buy lottery tickets online. Like casino betting, the country has failed to address social or skill-based gaming.

Japanis yet to enact legislation that prevents offshore operators from offering betting services. Currently, bettors from Japan are free to punt online with the state’s little to no punitive actions.

Are Japanese betting sites legal?

Yes, Japanese betting sites are legal as there are no laws in place that identify them as illegal. While the laws in Japan state gambling is illegal, the country has yet to enact laws that refer to online betting. The exception to this is sports fantasy and lottery betting, all of which are legal online in Japan.

Do bookies restrict Japanese bettors?

Japanese bettors are restricted from punting on casino games via an offshore betting site. This is also applicable to purchasing lottery tickets, poker, and bingo. Whether amendments to its laws will allow for future consideration is unknown.

Does the government tax winnings?

The Japanese government applies a withholding tax on any winnings resultant from casino and horse racing related activities. However, this is only applicable on winnings that exceed 500,000 JPY and only those won in land-based gambling facilities. However, Japanese lawmakers are currently considering the option to make the winnings of non-resident players non-taxable.

Bonuses & Specials

For the most part, most bonuses centre around new player promotions and reload bonuses.

In addition, many bookies include VIP programs and loyalty perks. These can vary from free bets for specific sporting events to enhanced odds, free spins and exclusive one-off promotions.

Japanese Punters’ Favourite Sports

Like other Asian nations, Japanese bettors have a history of favouring certain sports over others. The one consistent though is the share similarities with other Asian nations and include martial arts, baseball, basketball and football.

• Martial Arts
  Martial arts are a foregone conclusion when it comes to sports betting popularity in Japan. A sport that combines judo, kickboxing, striking and grappling, it ranks highly among Japanese bettors. Likewise, it is a predominantly featured sport at each of our top Japanese betting sites.
• Baseball
  It is well-documented that baseball plays an important role in the social economics of sports betting in Japan. With their own professional baseball league and several of their elite players in the MLB, the sport generates a loyal fan base.
• Basketball
  Less popular than baseball and martial arts, basketball still reigns supreme in Japan. The country is home to one of the most successful basketball teams in Asia and is a two-time champion of the Asian Basketball Championships.
• Football
  Introduced in the early 1930s, football has grown to be one of Japan’s more popular sports for betting. The country also sports one of Asia’s most successful football teams, having competed in the World Cup. The country is also home to multiple collegiate leagues, which are popular options for football bettors in Japan.

Online Casinos Quick Facts

Online casinos are a touchy topic in Japan as the country has yet to welcome any land-based casinos. What’s more, the country is taking actions towards blocking and blacklisting unlicensed sites.

Considering pachinko is widely played in Japan, the popularity of casino games is evident by the number of offshore operators. Expectantly, punters can look forward to an abundance of options such as slots, card games, poker, and other games of chance.

Currency & Payment Gateways

Bookies offer a variety of punter-friendly payment gateways. There is the usual combination of credit and debit card options, but many have introduced cryptocurrencies as a payment method. These are preferred for their added privacy protection benefits and ease of use.

Generally, the minimum payments are similar to those required for traditional payment methods. However, the processing of crypto payments does incur fees when depositing or withdrawing. Yet, the cost is minimal for the convenience and anonymity they offer.

Mobile Betting in Japan

Most betting sites in Japan offer alternative solutions for mobile betting. These mainly come in the form of betting apps for iOS and Android devices. However, they are less appealing for privacy reasons as they require downloading.

Top Bookie Ranked by Silentbet

1xBit is the top bookie ranked by Silentbet based on its popularity and betting features. This is no small accomplishment considering the competition facing online bookmakers today. Part of its rise to prominence at Silentbet is the bookmaker’s dedication to simplicity and providing a safe betting environment.

The stability and simplicity has also seen the bookie forgoing live streaming in favour of a superior engineered live betting platform. It has also resulted in an emphasis towards odds and unique features such as BetGames TV. Therefore, if you are in the market for a new Japanese recommended bookie, 1xBit is worth your consideration.

Summary & Verdict

Japan is one of the world’s most populous and technologically-advanced countries. It is also one of the few Asian nations that will see it develop its gambling laws to adjust to the changing climate of acceptance. It has already proven this through its adoption of friendly betting laws for land-based gambling. However, the attitude to online gambling is pretty different. While some forms of gambling are accepted, others remain legally unavailable for Japanese players.

FAQs