SAITAMA, Japan - Japanese police arrested nine people Wednesday for allegedly operating a payment system for overseas online casino bets and enabling customers to gamble from within Japan illegally.
Saitama and Aichi prefectural police suspect the group had about 340 billion yen ($2.1 billion) transferred from customers as wagers to its bank account.
The suspects include Yuta Suzuki, 36, from Tokyo's Nakano Ward, police said. They are suspected of helping six customers gamble repeatedly at overseas online casinos from Jan. 4 to April 13, 2025.
Although many online casinos operate legally overseas, accessing them and placing bets from within Japan via smartphones and other devices is a criminal offense under Japanese law.
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