PRESS CONFERENCE

Japan's Online Gambling Legislation, Casino Resorts and the Problems of Gambling Addiction

Liz Ritchie MBE; Co-Founder and Family Service Trustee, Gambling with Lives
Charles Ritchie MBE; Co-Founder and Chair of Trustee, Gambling with Lives
Noriko Tanaka; Representative of The Society Concerned about Gambling Addiction

11:00-12:00 Friday, September 19, 2025
(The speech and Q & A will be in English and Japanese with English interpretation.)

In June, the Japanese government passed new laws on gambling addiction. The effort follows a National Police Agency report showing 3.37 million Japanese used an online gambling site and that 40 percent of them were unaware such sites were illegal. Under the revised law, new online casino sites, including through smartphone apps, will be banned. But there are reportedly no penalties for failure to comply with the new provisions.

In addition to online concerns, the Osaka casino resort, located beside the soon to close Osaka Expo, is moving forward. Other local governments have recently begun discussing the merits of hosting a casino resort. But the law on online gambling and possible new casino resorts is creating fears of a rise in gambling addicts. The UK is quite familiar with the problems of gambling addiction, and to highlight the UK response and address addiction concerns that Japan is facing, the FCCJ will hear from Liz Ritchie, MBE, Co-Founder and Family Trustee of Gambling with Lives; Charles Ritchie, MBE, Co-Founder, Gambling with Lives; and Noriko Tanaka, of The Society Concerned about Gambling Addiction.

How to attend: 
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live  

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/FcydCuseTHFHZNhS7      

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.

Professional Activities Committee