Online casinos are rapidly becoming a hidden addiction among young people, often seen as just an extension of gaming.
Atsushi Inamura, director of the nonprofit organization One Day Port in Yokohama, warns that online gambling is dangerously accessible via smartphones.
The Japanese government is now considering stricter measures to counteract the rising trend, but Inamura stresses that breaking habitual gambling behaviors is key.
The surge in online casino users seeking help coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns kept people at home.
According to Inamura, most of those seeking counseling are in their 20s, with some in their 30s.
Many are drawn in by friends and do not fully understand the illegal nature of online gambling.
Even public gambling activities like horse racing are now easily accessible via smartphone betting, with users losing track of their spending due to credit card payments.
In the past, gambling had a slightly shady reputation, but now it's just seen as another form of gaming, Inamura notes.
To curb this trend, the government is considering measures such as restricting internet betting for individuals or families who request it, increasing awareness campaigns about illegal gambling, and limiting credit card transactions for online casinos.