Sports and betting

The Japanese sports scene is rich: baseball (NPB, school Kōshien), football (J.League), sumo, basketball and motorsport attract multi-million audiences.

At the same time, gambling rates are naturally limited to "public" disciplines: horse racing (keiba, JRA/NAR), cycle track (keirin), boat races (kyōtei) and motor races (autorace) - all in a sweepstakes format with deductions for sports and infrastructure.

Additionally, toto football pools are available for J.League matches.

Bets are accepted offline and through official digital channels with KYC and limits.

Private bookmakers and betting on other sports (including esports) are prohibited.

Trends: an increase in the share of mobile applications and non-cash payments, tightening of responsible play measures, as well as a consistently high interest of fans in local leagues while maintaining a state-controlled betting model.