Gambling and buying lottery tickets have been embedded in Asian culture from time eternal, as gambling has been for more than four thousand five hundred years. Japan always respects order and tradition, which extends to the gambling laws of the country. The Japanese government imposes strict wagering laws with several exclusions. An amendment in the prevailing law was imminent but postponed due to the covid-19 crisis. Horse racing is at the apex of gambling in Japan, but the first gambling game of the country is “Ban-Sugoroku”, which is derived from the ancient Chinese game “Shuanglu”. Both games look akin to a modern game called backgammon. The game was popular in Asian countries before the birth of Christ.
The Gambling Law
Later with time, other gambling games and lotteries became popular; in 1907, the Japanese gambling law was reformed thoroughly. Sports betting (horse racing, bicycle racing, motorcycle and powerboat racing), lottery, Bingo and Pachinko was legalized. The situation remains more or less unchanged, yet you can play Slot online and other games through an online gambling portal. To gamble, you need to be twenty or above; that is the legitimate age limit for wagering in Japan. Apart from the other genera of gambling games, the traditional game Pachinko is quite absorbing.
Horse racing
Sports betting form a major part of gaming in Japan. Earlier it was only racing or animal fights, but now a day sports betting includes an array of activities like bicycle and bike racing and, of course, the all-time favorite horse racing. Horse racing is immensely popular in Japan; there are over twenty-five race tracks that are significant considering Japan’s area and population.
Many animals are associated with Japan, some mythical, others are real, but a horse is excluded from the list.
Horses are not native animals but were bought on the island from Mongolia between the third and sixth century BC. There are many well-known horse breeders, and many champions emerge from their stables. There were several breeds in Japan; some are now endangered, and the prevailing ones are a cross breeds with the familiar western breed. Horse racing in Japan is more of a social event than gambling as toddlers and aged people come in, as the track is more like a park than a gambling establishment. Group or pool betting is predominant as it constitutes around 70to 80% of total horse racing bets.
Motorbike racing is the essence of speed, balance and endurance, and most renowned brands like Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki come from the land of the rising sun. Though Japanese gambling law is harsh, motorbike race is allowed, and often Japan hosts F1 World Championship.
