Poker in Japan

The casinos and venues that host the most poker festivals in our database.

Belle Salle Takadanobaba

Tokyo, Japan

Festivals

8

Next Festival

Dec 2026

Dojima River Forum

Osaka, Japan

Festivals

7

Next Festival

Oct 2026

Sapporo Factory Hall

Sapporo, Japan

Festivals

2

Last Festival

Sep 2026

Umeda Sky Building

Osaka, Japan

Festivals

2

Last Festival

Feb 2026

Tokyo International Forum

Tokyo, Japan

Festivals

1

Last Festival

Dec 2024

UNITEDLAB

Fukuoka, Japan

Festivals

1

Last Festival

Jul 2026

The Penal Code makes gambling a crime (Art. 185, fine up to 500,000 yen) and habitual gambling more serious (Art. 186, up to 3 years). Tokyo police state that so-called amusement casinos are not gambling in themselves: venues offering card and table games need an amusement business licence and must stop customers from betting money. Poker tournaments such as the Japan Open Poker Tour (JOPT) therefore pay no cash prizes; winners receive trophies, points and travel or buy-in packages for events abroad. No casino is open yet: MGM Osaka on Yumeshima is under construction and targets autumn 2030.^{[2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]}

• Gambling: fine up to 500,000 yen (Penal Code Art. 185); habitual gambling: up to 3 years (Art. 186).
• Amusement poker venues operate under the Amusement Business Act licence and may not let customers gamble.
• JOPT cannot award cash prizes; winners get 'player contracts' covering travel, hotel and buy-ins for international events.
• Osaka IR targets an autumn 2030 opening; the casino floor is capped at 3% of the resort's floor area.
• Japanese residents will pay 6,000 yen per casino entry (two 3,000-yen levies) and may enter at most 3 times in 7 days and 10 times in 28 days, with My Number card ID checks.
• Cash games for money are illegal; there is no legal venue for them in Japan today.

Age: 20 applies to the future integrated resort casinos under the IR Implementation Act. Amusement poker venues and tournaments are not gambling, so there is no statutory poker age; organisers set their own rules.^[4]

There is no licensed online poker or casino in Japan. The National Police Agency states that betting on an online casino from Japan is a gambling offence even if the operator is licensed abroad, and police have charged players, affiliates and payment agents. Since 25 September 2025 an amendment to the Basic Act on Gambling Addiction bans offering, promoting or linking to illegal online gambling sites and apps from Japan. Blocking of sites is not in place: a Ministry of Internal Affairs panel reported in July 2026 that blocking could be considered, and the government is weighing other measures first.^{[1, 8, 9, 10]}

Licensed online poker

None

Players can be prosecuted

Yes

Sites blocked

No

Advertising ban

Yes

• No domestic online poker or casino licence exists.
• Players are liable: gambling from Japan on an overseas site is a crime, with fines up to 500,000 yen, and up to 3 years for habitual gambling.
• Ban on advertising, links, app listings and comparison sites for illegal online casinos from 25 September 2025.
• NPA cases include players at home, operators, payment agents and affiliates recruiting via video platforms.
• An NPA survey (published March 2025) estimated about 3.37 million people in Japan had used online casinos.
• Site blocking is under study (Ministry of Internal Affairs panel report, July 2026), not yet introduced.

Visa

Japan has visa exemption arrangements with 74 countries and regions, usually for stays of up to 90 days (15 or 30 days for a few countries); check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list at mofa.go.jp.

Money

The currency is the Japanese yen (JPY). Amusement poker events charge entry fees but pay no cash prizes, so do not expect to cash out winnings.

Casino Entry

There are no casinos open in Japan before the Osaka IR (autumn 2030). When it opens, Japanese residents will pay a 6,000-yen entry levy and show a My Number card; for amusement poker venues bring your passport and check each organiser's registration rules.

Tax on Winnings

We have not confirmed yet how poker winnings are taxed in Japan. Check with the venue or a tax adviser before you play for large amounts.

The legal answers rest on official sources: laws, regulators, government and courts. News and poker media are marked as secondary sources and are used for the poker scene, not as the only basis of a legal answer.

1. 1.オンラインカジノを利用した賭博は犯罪です (Online casino gambling is a crime) - National Police Agency, accessed October 28, 2026
2. 2.賭博について (On gambling) - Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, accessed October 28, 2026
3. 3.大阪IRに関するよくあるご質問 (Osaka IR FAQ) - Osaka Prefectural Government, accessed October 28, 2026
4. 4.特定複合観光施設区域整備法の概要 (Outline of the IR Implementation Act) - Tomakomai City, accessed October 28, 2026
5. 5.Japan's integrated resorts: why Osaka's MGM casino matters for 2027 licences - Focus Gaming News (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
6. 6.Japan Open Poker Tour offers new route into major APT and WSOP events - Poker.org (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
7. 7.Japan Poker Guide 2026: Amusement Casinos, JOPT & ROOTS - SoMuchPoker (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
8. 8.オンラインカジノに係るアクセス抑止の在り方に関する検討会 報告書(案)についての意見募集の結果の公表 - Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, accessed October 28, 2026
9. 9.Japan considers blocking access to illegal online casinos - The Star (Japan News) (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
10. 10.オンラインカジノ 利用実態調査 (NPA survey figures) - Nippon.com (secondary source), accessed October 28, 2026
11. 11.Exemption of Visas (Short-term stay) - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, accessed October 28, 2026
12. 12.ギャンブル等依存症対策 (Gambling addiction measures) - Cabinet Secretariat, accessed October 27, 2026
13. 13.全国の精神保健福祉センター一覧 - National Association of Mental Health and Welfare Centres, accessed October 27, 2026
14. 14.公営競技ギャンブル依存症カウンセリングセンター - Koei Kyogi (public sports betting bodies), accessed October 27, 2026