Japan arrests man for gambling

[purple_sparkles]

Japanese law enforcement has arrested a 38-year-old man in what is being called the largest individual online gambling case in the country’s history. The suspect, Makoto Chomabayashi, is accused of placing bets totaling 28 billion yen (approximately $194 million) through an international gambling website, far exceeding previous records for individual wagering activity in Japan.

At first, I was like what is the illegal part here? Yes he gambled huge amounts of money but there were no signs of money laundering. I was confused until it was mentioned that gambling is illegal in Japan. Gambling is generally banned in Japan with a few exceptions. Chomabayashi also acted as a casino affiliate using his social media accounts to refer users to the casino. He said that he did all of this since he thought that he would never get caught. But he was publicly working for an online casino so I do not know why he would think that he would not be caught by the authorities. It is ridiculous to me to be fined just for gambling but if that is the rules of your country.... you would have to follow.

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

The amount of money lost is just way too big. It doesn’t seem like this is a simple case of someone just gambling for fun. Most likely, there’s something shady going on behind the scenes. A few possibilities come to mind: maybe it’s a government scare tactic like “this is what happens if you gamble,” or some kind of black PR move, possibly tied to political interests. It could even be a money laundering operation disguised as gambling activity. I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way to find a way to place bets. I’d just look for another form of entertainment, especially in a country where gambling could actually land you in jail.

[Cryptmuster]

Japanese law enforcement has arrested a 38-year-old man in what is being called the largest individual online gambling case in the country’s history. The suspect, Makoto Chomabayashi, is accused of placing bets totaling 28 billion yen (approximately $194 million) through an international gambling website, far exceeding previous records for individual wagering activity in Japan.

At first, I was like what is the illegal part here? Yes he gambled huge amounts of money but there were no signs of money laundering. I was confused until it was mentioned that gambling is illegal in Japan. Gambling is generally banned in Japan with a few exceptions. Chomabayashi also acted as a casino affiliate using his social media accounts to refer users to the casino. He said that he did all of this since he thought that he would never get caught. But he was publicly working for an online casino so I do not know why he would think that he would not be caught by the authorities. It is ridiculous to me to be fined just for gambling but if that is the rules of your country.... you would have to follow.

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

It would be one thing if he simply played, perhaps using a VPN or some other methods, but if you say that he worked in a casino and was engaged in promotion through social networks, then this is not one violation, but a combination of violations, and such activity would have attracted attention sooner or later anyway. And of course, the amounts involved in the case are impressive, apparently gambling was a very profitable business for him, and here only one question arises, if it concerned hundreds of millions of dollars, then why didn't he just move to a country where gambling is allowed? With that kind of money, he could live in any country in the world and without fear that he could be arrested.

[btc78]

Japanese law enforcement has arrested a 38-year-old man in what is being called the largest individual online gambling case in the country’s history. The suspect, Makoto Chomabayashi, is accused of placing bets totaling 28 billion yen (approximately $194 million) through an international gambling website, far exceeding previous records for individual wagering activity in Japan.

At first, I was like what is the illegal part here? Yes he gambled huge amounts of money but there were no signs of money laundering. I was confused until it was mentioned that gambling is illegal in Japan. Gambling is generally banned in Japan with a few exceptions. Chomabayashi also acted as a casino affiliate using his social media accounts to refer users to the casino. He said that he did all of this since he thought that he would never get caught. But he was publicly working for an online casino so I do not know why he would think that he would not be caught by the authorities. It is ridiculous to me to be fined just for gambling but if that is the rules of your country.... you would have to follow.

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

The amount of money lost is just way too big. It doesn’t seem like this is a simple case of someone just gambling for fun. Most likely, there’s something shady going on behind the scenes.

i do not know how much a rich person can lose while gambling but if he is such a wealthy person maybe it is indeed possible but it is also understandable that the government would have wanted to investigate him to check if there was indeed something fishy going on

A few possibilities come to mind: maybe it’s a government scare tactic like “this is what happens if you gamble,” or some kind of black PR move, possibly tied to political interests. It could even be a money laundering operation disguised as gambling activity. I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way to find a way to place bets. I’d just look for another form of entertainment, especially in a country where gambling could actually land you in jail.

it is easy to say this until you are so addicted to gambling and you are unfortunate enough to live in a country where gambling is illegal but with that amount of money maybe he should have found a way to hide better

[Awaklara]

On the time that you have decided on trying to go against with your countries laws then you should be wary about on the risks involved. If you are ready to face up the
consequences then it would be your call. For me then i wouldnt be that wanting to create some commotion or any other things that make up some noise if ever i have decided
to play outside the country. The only thing that differs on here is that when you do have the money then you can actually be able to be that confident that you can easily
go pass through the law or government on which this is somewhat always a common mentality for those who are rich people. Imagine on wagering up millions then you wont be that
that much scared about violations not unless if it is no bail, then your fucked up on this case.

I don't bet in large amounts, at least until now I still gamble.
So far, what I see is that the government's focus in my country is more on eradicating online gambling sites, although there are still online fiat slot and casino sites that can still be accessed, even with some blocking. They target providers more than users. It doesn't mean that gambling customers are free from government attention, but if they are directly arrested while at a gambling place, of course, they will still be processed according to the law.

[Mrbluntzy]

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

If gambling is illegal in my country, I don't think fear will allow me to disobey the law of the country because if I do, my mind will never be completely at rest and I might want to distance myself from friends since I don't  know who is going to report me when they catch you. Incident of friends betraying their close friends in common here and you probably might escape it when you do something that is banned, the authority can use your friends to expose you by giving them a reward (money) so that they can keep a close eye on you.

[DiMarxist]

No matter what, I think we should be law abiding to our country's rules and regulations. If  your country is against gambling, my humble suggestion is for you not to gamble, so as not to make negative headlines like this. But, the truth is, as time passes all those countries will surely legalize it.also, I don't really see the reason why a country should not legalize gambling. The gambler is not using national funds to gamble, it is his personal money he is using to gamble, so why the restrictions and humiliation every person should be allowed to use their money to do what will benefit and profit them. You never can tell if that will be the source if his future fortune.

[sunsilk]

I think that the only problem here was that he did too much for a limit. And that's why he's arrested for that, but if he's not able to reach the limit and surpass it, he won't be hot in the eyes of the police.

Japan has a strict rule for gambling but it is not illegal there. As long as the gamblers are not passing through the limits set to them, they should be fine.

It's exactly the case of surpassing the limits. The guy thought that he wouldn't get caught, but with such an amount, it would be more than impossible not to.

Because he's been doing that perfectly for how long, made him comfortable that he won't get caught. But it won't be too long until he's caught and arrested.

That's going to be a case for most of the people there that are probably doing the same thing as him. I think that he's also part of a community of the same people that does it.

Then, that's going to be a warning to the others that they should stop it already if they're still doing it. If we're going to analyze it, it is not a concerning thing but because it's Japan, that has become a case and rules that needs to be strictly followed.

[Oluwa-btc]

Some persons are bound to suffer or adhere to the regulations that comes with their country laws against Gambling.No matter what, there're countries that enact strict forces on their citizens from gambling compulsively and as for Japan it's a Law that compulsorily needs to be adhered too without being forcibly humiliated from government officials.

[sokani]

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

I dunno. But if I would, I would be very discreet.

However, in this case, the man was utterly stupid. He knew gambling was banned in his country, and he was posting publicly about it on social media. He was the one who invited trouble to his doorstep.

From what I read, it seems he's a very successful gambler. Since gambling was more like his source of income, what I'd have expected was for him to relocate to a country where gambling is not banned, and there he wouldn't have had any problem doing what he likes.

[bettercrypto]

Japanese law enforcement has arrested a 38-year-old man in what is being called the largest individual online gambling case in the country’s history. The suspect, Makoto Chomabayashi, is accused of placing bets totaling 28 billion yen (approximately $194 million) through an international gambling website, far exceeding previous records for individual wagering activity in Japan.

At first, I was like what is the illegal part here? Yes he gambled huge amounts of money but there were no signs of money laundering. I was confused until it was mentioned that gambling is illegal in Japan. Gambling is generally banned in Japan with a few exceptions. Chomabayashi also acted as a casino affiliate using his social media accounts to refer users to the casino. He said that he did all of this since he thought that he would never get caught. But he was publicly working for an online casino so I do not know why he would think that he would not be caught by the authorities. It is ridiculous to me to be fined just for gambling but if that is the rules of your country.... you would have to follow.

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

Of course as citizens of a country we should abide by the law that we have in the country we are in because for sure there is a penalty for that, it's just that there are still others who will violate it because they can't stop themselves from gambling, as long as they don't get caught because once they are caught they will definitely go to jail or there will be a fine.

Then it's hard to do something illegal because your conscience will surely catch you because what you did was wrong, unless you are immune to illegal things so it's normal for others to do it.

[Oluwa-btc]

At first, I was like what is the illegal part here? Yes he gambled huge amounts of money but there were no signs of money laundering. I was confused until it was mentioned that gambling is illegal in Japan. Gambling is generally banned in Japan with a few exceptions. Chomabayashi also acted as a casino affiliate using his social media accounts to refer users to the casino. He said that he did all of this since he thought that he would never get caught. But he was publicly working for an online casino so I do not know why he would think that he would not be caught by the authorities. It is ridiculous to me to be fined just for gambling but if that is the rules of your country.... you would have to follow.

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

I think this is a good steps they took to reprimand him for his illegal acts. One thing I'm able to understand is that if a country has prohibited some things the citizens should adhere and follow inorder to stay far from being victims of this circumstances. So clearly enough he must've failed the rules of gambling in Japan which has led to gis arrest.mind you no matter how much smartness one tends to play they can bypass an authority rules. So i wouldn't gamble if gambling isn't legal.

[promise444c5]

The label "illegal" doesn't stop people from doing whatever is tagged as illegal. Drugs and the like are also illegal in most countries yet people still find a way around it and gambling is no different.
Most gambling sites will still require KYC even if you bypass VPN restrictions as well.. It's a risk anyway if you can bypass all that but all I know is gamblers always find a means to gamble, governments are just spoilers.

[Hispo]

The label "illegal" doesn't stop people from doing whatever is tagged as illegal. Drugs and the like are also illegal in most countries yet people still find a way around it and gambling is no different.
Most gambling sites will still require KYC even if you bypass VPN restrictions as well.. It's a risk anyway if you can bypass all that but all I know is gamblers always find a means to gamble, governments are just spoilers.

By nature, governments of all countries try to keep some control over their population and also on the things they are supposed and not allowed to know, in many occasions according to cultural context within the country and history of such country.
It is true that making something illegal won't stop completely such market and people could continue to access to it of they have the necessary money to do so. But one also needs to understand that control over gambling (even in countries were it is legal to gamble) has much to do with the taxation of people so the government can run smoothly with more money (assuming there is not much corruption in such republic).

Sure, governments are spoilers in many occasions, but we cannot allow complete anarchy to take over and disorder to govern our life, there must be some point of equilibrium.

[Spinning99]

I would never gamble in my country physically if it was illegal, also in my country gambling is so far illegal from some years now though most people I see in coffee shops and ex lotto pubs that they keep playing by using alternative links of Bet365 for example, also many of the crypto users like me play in casinos that the state does not know that they exist or are not as popular in the country as to warrant a ban against them. So yes I keep playing in all major casinos and sport bookies that do not have the word "bet" in their name of their website like the casino in my signature or other similar ones. Anyway in the context of the story the person already knew and the fact that he didn't care because he thought he would never get caught, I am not defending him, he should not have wagered near 200 million dollars and think that he would go unnoticed, lots of tax evasion I guess in here.

If gambling is illegal in your country, gambling online won't help you if you get caught. You still have committed illegal acts. If they really want to, they will catch you because most users are not able to hide properly their online activities.

The label "illegal" doesn't stop people from doing whatever is tagged as illegal. Drugs and the like are also illegal in most countries yet people still find a way around it and gambling is no different.
Most gambling sites will still require KYC even if you bypass VPN restrictions as well.. It's a risk anyway if you can bypass all that but all I know is gamblers always find a means to gamble, governments are just spoilers.

You can also pay someone to do KYC for you, so that can be bypassed easily. Something being illegal does not prevent anyone who wants to do it from doing it, you are right. These measures are just annoying because they don't work.

[AHOYBRAUSE]

Well, since I live in Japan I have some things to add. First of all online gambling isn't really illegal per se. There are always loopholes, otherwise many sites would put Japan on their banned regions list in the TOS. Big poker sites like pokerstars and GG also accept and advertise to players in and from Japan, that's no secret.
Over the years the law changed a bit and got more relaxed. I remember when I came here in 2009 for the first time, back then I informed betfair (worlds biggest betting exchange) that i will go to Japan. As a response they immediately suspended my account (of course they let me withdraw my funds). 7 years later they then accepted players living in Japan, after some law change.

SO yeah, I think the case OP mentioned is only so public because I bet that BIG, and also worked as an affiliate. They don't like people advertising gambling here. But hey, I guess a HUGE pachinko hall close to every bigger train station is no problem. 

[kotajikikox]

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

If gambling is illegal in my country, I don't think fear will allow me to disobey the law of the country because if I do, my mind will never be completely at rest and I might want to distance myself from friends since I don't  know who is going to report me when they catch you. Incident of friends betraying their close friends in common here and you probably might escape it when you do something that is banned, the authority can use your friends to expose you by giving them a reward (money) so that they can keep a close eye on you.

Disobeying the government and having them catch you will only perpetuate to the idea that gamblers are somehow dangerous people that deserve to be jailed. This gives a bad image to gamblers but at the same time it is difficult resisting to one's vice. Gambling is not inherently bad so it is difficult to find logic in wanting to get it banned.

[Finestream]

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

Japan is strict with its rules. They punished everyone who committed violations.

If you are a good citizen of the country and know that it is illegal, you won't break it. It is just the same in the other, where gambling is banned, even though the government is not strictly implementing it. If the government is serious about its rule, people will certainly have some fear of committing violations as well.

I was thankful that it was legal in my country and I could gamble without any worries. Unless the operator has no license to operate.

[Dunamisx]

The label "illegal" doesn't stop people from doing whatever is tagged as illegal. Drugs and the like are also illegal in most countries yet people still find a way around it and gambling is no different.
Most gambling sites will still require KYC even if you bypass VPN restrictions as well.. It's a risk anyway if you can bypass all that but all I know is gamblers always find a means to gamble, governments are just spoilers.

If the law in our country forbids gambling, then we should be very careful in using a gambling platform that requires kyc, because the government can require for data at anytime form them, i want to believe that to an extent, we still have more other gambling platforms that don't require for kyc and they can be used, government will always threat on this for regulations until the casinos comply to their request and this may not be safe for us.

[Spinning99]

Well, since I live in Japan I have some things to add. First of all online gambling isn't really illegal per se. There are always loopholes, otherwise many sites would put Japan on their banned regions list in the TOS. Big poker sites like pokerstars and GG also accept and advertise to players in and from Japan, that's no secret.
Over the years the law changed a bit and got more relaxed. I remember when I came here in 2009 for the first time, back then I informed betfair (worlds biggest betting exchange) that i will go to Japan. As a response they immediately suspended my account (of course they let me withdraw my funds). 7 years later they then accepted players living in Japan, after some law change.

SO yeah, I think the case OP mentioned is only so public because I bet that BIG, and also worked as an affiliate. They don't like people advertising gambling here. But hey, I guess a HUGE pachinko hall close to every bigger train station is no problem. 

Thank you for the hands on input. On that last note, you can see clearly corrupt interests always making specific laws that put some things at an advantage over others. This is probably because a low of politicians or people close to them have profits from pachinko, but they can't demand some online casino from a far away country to give them money under the table. 

If the law in our country forbids gambling, then we should be very careful in using a gambling platform that requires kyc, because the government can require for data at anytime form them, i want to believe that to an extent, we still have more other gambling platforms that don't require for kyc and they can be used, government will always threat on this for regulations until the casinos comply to their request and this may not be safe for us.

As said KYC does not accomplish anything. You can bypass it easily if you wanted to. The same way people gamble in illegal dens if there is a prohibition on gambling, it just does not work.

[sotelorene]

Japanese law enforcement has arrested a 38-year-old man in what is being called the largest individual online gambling case in the country’s history. The suspect, Makoto Chomabayashi, is accused of placing bets totaling 28 billion yen (approximately $194 million) through an international gambling website, far exceeding previous records for individual wagering activity in Japan.

At first, I was like what is the illegal part here? Yes he gambled huge amounts of money but there were no signs of money laundering. I was confused until it was mentioned that gambling is illegal in Japan. Gambling is generally banned in Japan with a few exceptions. Chomabayashi also acted as a casino affiliate using his social media accounts to refer users to the casino. He said that he did all of this since he thought that he would never get caught. But he was publicly working for an online casino so I do not know why he would think that he would not be caught by the authorities. It is ridiculous to me to be fined just for gambling but if that is the rules of your country.... you would have to follow.

If gambling was illegal in your country, would you still gamble?

To be very honest with you even though gambling is very risky, there are also people that gambling is sustaining till tomorrow that is to say that there are people who are feeding through gambling and they are not even an addict. I still don't believe that Japan have such law I mean how would an advance country like Japan do that, that was so unfortunate for the mam they caught and I still believe there are people in Japan that are doing same thing that man was doing but underground but that is very risky, instead of getting into trouble why not just avoid it. Telling some people to stop gambling is almost same thing as telling someone to stop stealing because there are people that no matter what you tell them, they won't stop because it's in their blood.