Roulette in Japan (Integrated Resorts)

Where things stand

Gambling in Japan is prohibited by the Penal Code with specific exceptions: public lotteries, racing (horses, bicycles, boats, motorcycles) and the pachinko industry, which operates as a prize game. The IR Promotion Act (2016) and IR Implementation Act (2018) created a further exception for up to three casinos inside integrated resorts. Yokohama withdrew in 2021 after a mayoral election; Tokyo and Nagoya never submitted bids; Nagasaki’s bid failed on financing; Osaka’s was certified in 2023. Construction began in April 2025 on Yumeshima, the Expo 2025 island, with opening planned for autumn 2030.

What the floor will look like

Plans filed for MGM Osaka describe about 470 tables and several thousand electronic gaming machines across a floor limited to 3% of the complex. Roulette will be present, almost certainly single zerowheelZeroThe single green pocket that no even-money, dozen or column bet covers; the source of the house edge. Also: single zero, 0.Read full → on MGM’s international pattern, with electronic stadiums for low-stakes play. The commission certifies every game and device; approved game rules will be published before opening.

Electronic Roulette Terminals

Online and the gray market

Online casino play is illegal for people in Japan, and the point has been enforced: police have arrested players, not only operators, for using offshore casino sites, and 2025 amendments to the Gambling Addiction Countermeasures Act prohibit showing such sites to users in Japan or publishing anything that steers them there. Streamers and affiliates have been prosecuted. There is no licensed online roulette in Japan and none is planned.

Pachinko and the context

Japan already has one of the largest gambling industries in the world by turnovermoneyTurnoverThe total amount wagered over a session or period, counting re-bet winnings. Also: handle, action.Read full →, in pachinko parlors that avoid the casino ban by paying prizes exchanged for cash off-premises. The IR debate was shaped by this: supporters argued that regulated casinos are safer than the status quo; opponents pointed to addiction rates already among the highest measured. The entry fee and visit caps are the compromise.

Advice for a future visitor

Until 2030 there is no legal roulette in Japan and no legal online roulette either. From 2030, expect a single-zero wheel at a very large, very well-staffed resort, a free entry for passport holders and a ¥6,000 gate for residents, who will also need to show a My Number card. Expect the quietest, most heavily regulated casino floor in Asia.

Questions