• Japanese police have referred boy band member Shion Tsurubo to prosecutors over his gambling habits
• Tsurubo admitted to using an online casino for an extended period of time, but said he stopped once he found out it was illegal
• The police have recommended "strict punishment" in his case as the country continues to crack down on gambling

Japanese police continue to go after citizens in the country who they suspect of having engaged with online gambling products. Online gambling is illegal in Japan and is usually subject to prosecution, even when a person is involved only as a player.

Many prominent members of societies have been targeted in aan nti-gambling crackdown

This is precisely what is happening with Shion Tsurubo, the 24-year-old member of the boy band JO1. Tsurubo has been referred to prosecutors over his use of an online gambling platform – an allegation to which he has already admitted, according to The Japan Times, a local media outlet, citing sources.

Tsurubo reportedly told investigators that he had developed a strong need to gamble, and had become "obsessed" with the activity, fueling his habit and driving him to spend more. He also told investigators that he was not at first aware that the activity was prohibited when he was engaging in it.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Tsurubo spent as much as 15m yen, around $104,000, on the activity, at a specific online casino. He started gambling in December 2023 and only stopped in August 2024 when he saw the news that online gambling is illegal for people to engage with, and he stopped.

The police have recommended "strict punishment" in Tsurubo’s case. However, Tsurubo is hardly the only person to engage in online gambling. As many as 3m people in Japan may be doing so on an annual basis, spending trillions worth of yen as they do.

Japan is hoping to uproot overseas operators with foreign help

A bigger issue, however, remains the websites that target gamblers in the country, and try to appear legit. Even though online gambling is not permitted in any form, many people are still not aware of this, meaning that they could end up playing on a website, none the wiser that they are committing an offense under Japanese law.

The websites are themselves offering users a Japanese-language interface as well as the local currency. Japan is only now starting to reach out overseas to try and stem the tide of these illegal ventures by asking foreign authorities and regulators for help.

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