• Japan has arrested several Fuji TV network employees over their gambling habits
• Gambling as a private person with unregistered websites is still a punishable offense in Japan
• The country has similarly been looking to limit the access of illegal gambling platforms in the first place

Japan continues to crack down on illegal gambling, with the country focusing on illegal operators and, notably, locals who have engaged in online play. Gambling is a punishable offense, and many prominent and ordinary citizens have been arrested over their suspected – or confirmed – gambling habits.

More prominent Japanese people arrested for their gambling habits

The latest person to have been arrested by Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department is Yoshitaka Suzuki, an employee of the prominent Fuji TV Network, where he is the manager in charge of planning the show division. According to authorities, Suzuki engaged in illegal gambling between September 22, 2024, and May 13, 2025.

Suzuki acknowledged guilt in the case and admitted that he had indeed engaged in illegal online gambling. He had found out about online gambling from his senior colleagues, who are also said to have engaged in the activity.

Before the arrest, Suzuki was interviewed by an internal team of investigators employed by the company, but denied wrongdoing in those instances. Suzuki’s overall gambling spend is pegged at 100m yen or some $679,000.

However, Suzuki is not the only person to have been arrested in the company, after police also confirmed the arrest of Kenta Yamamoto, a 27-year-old announcer with the network.

Japan is adamant about holding citizens accountable for their gambling habits

Japan has not hesitated to bring various members of society to justice and is one of the few nations to actually target people who gamble with illegal gambling websites overseas.

A member of JO1, a boy band, was recently arrested by authorities because of his online gambling habits, which were also illegal. Japan is not solely focusing citizens, however, with the National Diet recently moving forward with a deal designed to further limit the power that illegal gambling platforms have in the nation.

The country has similarly acknowledged the need to raise awareness about the illegality of online gambling with overseas operators, hoping to inform the public about the issue and prevent cases of high-profile gamblers.

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