Stars in the spotlight
Japan’s recent spate of high-profile online gambling cases has continued with two baseball stars coming under the public spotlight in a country where the vertical is illegal.
could open the floodgates to more high-profile confessions
While many Japanese are unsure if iCasino games are illegal, the case of Yomiuri Giants’ Rui Okoye and Daiki Masuda will help spread national awareness and could open the floodgates to more high-profile confessions.
Both Okoye and Masuda self-reported their online gambling activity to their Tokyo-based franchise, which then referred the case to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD).
The mea culpa actions of the pair seem to have worked, as the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors’ Office announced last week that it will not prosecute Okoye or Masuda for illegally gambling at online casinos.
Confessions galore
Okoye and Masuda both placed bets via their mobile phones on online casino sites.
According to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), the pair coming clean was a major factor in their exoneration. The Yomiuri Giants intimated as much, stating federal prosecutors decided against indictment “as a result of the players being allowed to turn themselves in and honestly report their use of online casinos.”
sincere remorse and a desire to atone for their actions”
Japan’s oldest and most successful major league sports franchise added that Okoye and Masuda “have shown sincere remorse and a desire to atone for their actions.”
While the TMPD handed the case to the federal prosecutor, it did not call for indictment, reportedly “taking into account the fact that the two players voluntarily reported the matter” to their team.
Last week, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office followed suit and decided not to prosecute the pair.
The actions of the officials will give hope to four players from the NPB’s Saitana Saibu Lions, who all recently turned themselves in for illegal online gambling.
Japanese prosecutors are less likely, however, to show Fuji TV network head Yoshitaka Suzuki much leniency. The TMPD last month accused Suzuki of illegally gambling ¥100m ($679,000) online over eight months. Not only did Suzuki not self-report his gambling, he allegedly lied about his pastime to Fuji TV investigators and continued to bet.
Facing the music
While Japanese residents face a relatively small fine of up to 500,000 yen ($3,400) for gambling online, there’s also a risk of spending three years in prison. While Suzuki stated he thought he’d never get caught, other high-profile figures claim they weren’t sure if online casino was illegal or not.
“I knew that gambling was prohibited by law, but I thought online casinos would be okay,” stated J-Pop star Shion Tsurubo, who the TMPD accuse of betting around ¥440,000 ($3,052). Also accused is comic Kuruma Takahira, who stated he thought it was legal to bet after seeing “an ad on the internet.”
Part of the misconception stems from a loophole in Japanese gaming regulations that allows casino operators to advertise their free-to-play products across Japan’s national TV networks and digital media channels.
